"The X Factor" host Steve Jones said he "will never apologize for doing my job" after causing an uncomfortable moment by cutting off judge Paula Abdul mid-sentence, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s The Live Feed blog.

The incident happened halfway through the live two-and-a-half-hour broadcast, when the program was two minutes behind schedule, the story says. Abdul was giving a group a few words of encouragement when Jones interrupted and insisted the show had to move on, the piece adds.

“My producers were screaming, ‘We’re way over, we gotta move on, stop them,’” Jones told the publication. “Paula was cool, but she did look a little bit annoyed.”

For her part, Abdul told the publication that the moment "was a little awkward."