He said he liked Kellie that particular week and said it. I got the impression that he didn't mean to dis Carrie.
Well, that's not quite an apology, but at least he admits he shouldn't have said it.
I think it was one of those things where he said something and it wound up meaning something he didn't intend. He said later he liked Carrie. It was a decent show. They talked to his 80 year old mother, lol.