Washington, Dec 19 : American idol judge Simon Cowell has said that former contestant Paula Goodspeed''s death left him shocked.

He insists that the tragedy has hit the judges "like an express train".

"What happened was awful. My regret in all of this was that we didn''t know how troubled this person was," Usmagazine. com quoted Cowell as saying.

"If I could''ve gone back in time and known what she was going through, I wish that we could''ve spent time trying to help her, but we genuinely didn''t know.

"It''s a human tragedy. It hit us like an express train," he added.

He also spoke out in defence of the American Idol producers, who received condemnation for allowing Goodspeed to audition.

"These guys have the utmost integrity as human beings," Cowell said.

"We wouldn''t work with them if they were the kind of people who would deliberately do something like that. We''ve taken them on their word that they didn''t know that this person was as troubled as she was.

"These aren''t bad people. All they want to do is make a successful show. I spoke to them after the incident, and they were absolutely horrified," he added.

Goodspeed, 30, was a contestant in the 5th season of the reality show and was found dead near judge Paula Abdul's house.

She was apparently infatuated with Paula.

Godspeed's audition was aired during the season that began in January 2006. Her audition performance of "Proud Mary" was panned and mocked by the judges. (ANI)