As he took in the various parents staring at him expectantly, PD Emily, who looked as if none of this were her problem, and the contestant who had started this whole issue, Wilford Forbes put on his placating smile before responding.
"Of course, we don't want to punish contestant Ariel and have no plans to do so. This is all a big misunderstanding due to miscommunication and what is likely hurt on Contestant Ariel's side. It's unfortunate that Contestant Ariel felt he had to act this way, as we are willing to make any allowances our contestants need, including allowing him to sit out today's activities.
