HILARY DUFF - DUFF DEFENDS SIMPSON'S SNL LIP-SYNC

Teen sensation HILARY DUFF has defended her friend ASHLEE SIMPSON's lip-synching embarrassment on American TV show SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE last month (OCT04).

The SO YESTERDAY singer and actress, 17, sympathises with Simpson's widely publicised blunder when a pre-recorded version of her hit PIECES OF ME was played while she held her microphone at waist level.

And Duff has urged the media to stop mocking the 22-year-old rocker, because she believes the TV show forced Simpson to mime after she told them she'd lost her voice.

She says, "I've definitely felt pressure, but the band and me are all live so I feel really comfortable about that, that that could never happen to me. But I have felt pressure before because in Europe they want you to lip sync on their TV shows and it's really hard to stand your ground because there it's so normal.

"I'm actually friends with Ashlee and people are giving her such a hard time but, I don't know, I just think it sucks. There are times when I have trouble singing and I have to just stand there for a second. I think there are always two sides and Ashlee could have been sick or had a bad throat so was told to mime."