An apparatus and method for detecting a status of at least one of a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), is disclosed in embodiments of the invention. The apparatus includes a first node, a second node, a voltage generator, a current source and a first comparator. The voltage generator generates an output voltage to the first external circuit via the second node. The current source provides a current to the first external circuit via the first node to generate a first node voltage. The first comparator generates a first comparison result according to the first node voltage and a reference voltage, wherein the first comparison result indicates whether the status of at least one of the LEDs is short or not.