What a redneck loser!

We begin with Tiffany Shedd, a peroxide blonde with an earth shattering version of Mariah Carey’s “Hero”. Simon astounds us with calling her a donkey. I guess he’s fulfilled his animal references for this season; remember the bush baby from season 7?

We have a history lesson with contest Mark Mudd who sings “White Lightening”. He’s sent packing with his ancestors. However, here Paula disappoints. Mr. Mudd was showing her some southern hospitality by telling her to “be careful” which Paula deems as a threat, which was oh so tacky on Paula’s part.

Matt Giraud, who’s a dueling piano player, is told to watch Simon on Idol. Evidently he needs to grow an ego the size of Texas. He’s sent through to Hollywood with these very instructions from Simon himself.

Finally, we see the best contestant of the night. Ross Plavsic taught himself to sing using physics. Evidently, he miscalculated somewhere, but he is by far, the most hilarious contestent we meet in Kentucky. He has a scratchy throat; Paula asks if he needs a drink. Mistake! Mr. Physics takes her offer literally and drinks right from Paula’s straw!

American Idol runner-up Justin Guarini says he owns a copy of From Justin to Kelly, the ill-fated musical that cast him alongside winner Kelly Clarkson, but he hasn’t watched it in years. Guarini now reports on Idol for the TV Guide Channel and will pop up as a potential twanger on the CMT series Gone Country.

You might remember Justin Guarini. The singer with a mop of perfectly highlighted curls and a swoon-inducing smile finished second to Kelly Clarkson on the first season of American Idol. But despite all those call-in votes and homemade posters, Guarini’s smooth vocals and TV-heartthrob appeal didn’t translate into real-world music success.

His 2003 post-Idol disc met with little interest. And the ill-fated From Justin to Kelly movie-musical seemed to hurt his career more than Clarkson’s. (Though, these days, it just seems like a rough version of High School Musical.)

“Oh yeah, sure, I have a copy,” Guarini says of the film ranked among the worst of all time by IMDB users. “I like the checks that still come more than the film.”

Guarini is still around, and — surprise — Idol is still a big part of his life. These days, he’s on the other side, interviewing judges and contestants for the TV Guide Channel and blogging every Idol episode via the Fancast Web site. Guarini posts weekly text and video blogs, offering his unique insights on the new contestants.  read more »

"American Idol" judge Paula Abdul is taking the credit for inspiring modern pop stars including Rihanna and Beyonce.

The singer rose to fame in the 1980s, selling over 23 million records worldwide and topping the American charts six times before taking a musical hiatus in 2000.

She subsequently relaunched her career as a judge on the hit TV talent show and returned to the pop charts in 2008.

And Abdul is convinced her long running career and her forward thinking music videos have paved the way for the music stars of today.

Fox Reality Channel will bring back Season 5 contestant Ace Young to host this year's "American Idol Extra."

Young will be joined by Fox utility player Jillian Reynolds. The fourth season of the behind-the-scenes "Idol" annex also will be shot from the "Idol" stage for the first time.

Fox Reality will premiere the show Thursday, March 26, at 7 p.m., airing nine episodes leading up the broadcast network's "Idol" finale.

Smile moments with Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman.

The trailer for the proposed scripted television comedy series starring Brian Dunkleman as the man who quit his job as cohost of American Idol after its first season and has had to hear ever since that had he stayed, he would have been a millionaire today.

Danny Gokey smiles as he goes on to Hollywood

The second part of American Idol’s two night premiere seemed to show case more promising talent than the first.  Thank goodness for that, because I don’t think America would be willing to stick out a season that was simply filled with the Katrina Darrells of the world.

An early judges’ favorite, Danny Gokey, offered the most vocal prowess of any contestant yet, silkily sliding over perfectly tunes notes with his sultry, smoky voice.  Even his background story, which seemed cheesy in its teasers, was properly heart wrenching.  Gokey tragically lost his wife just weeks before the auditions.  Hopefully, if our first taste of Danny is anything to go by, he’ll soon of something new to celebrate – a coveted spot in Idol’s top 12.

Hey, have any of you guys been watching Oprah Winfrey Presents: American Idol this season? In just four episodes, we've witnessed contestants struggling to overcome homelessness, failed record deals, deceased spouses, legal blindness, moms with seizure disorders, and even apartments torn asunder by tornados. If I didn't know any better, I'd say the show's ad-sales team was looking to add a tissue company to its roster of 2009 sponsors. (Can't you just imagine a weekly ''Kleenex: Laughter Through the Tears Moment'' wedged somewhere between the ''Ford Music Video'' and the ''Ritualistic Fondling of the Red Plastic Coca-Cola Cups''?)

What the show's powers that be fail to realize, though, is that it's too early for so many maudlin backstories. After seven seasons, any veteran Idol watcher can tell you that it's folly to get emotionally attached during the audition rounds. How many of us have heard a few a capella bars and promptly fallen for previous Golden Ticket winners — like season 6's pedicab driver Tami Gosnel or season 4's stay-at-home mom Jennifer Todd — only to have them totally tank or (even worse) fail to score a hot minute of airtime once Hollywood Week arrives.

Striking good looks, a past history with a major label that ended badly, Irish heritage and a shot at redemption. No, Carly Smithson isn't going for it again on "American Idol," Joanna Pacitti is.

With her model-worthy looks, the 24-year-old singer got her first big break when she joined the cast of "Annie" on Broadway at age 11 and played 106 performances in the iconic title role. But that experience led to her first brush with career disappointment, when, according to her IMDb bio, she was cut from the 20th-anniversary edition of the show by directors because she'd developed bronchitis. Her mother sued producers for $50 million over the firing, reportedly settling out of court. Barbara Walters covered the controversy on "20/20" in 1996, and it became fodder for a skit on "Saturday Night Live" the next year, with Cheri Oteri playing the role of Pacitti.

After moving to Los Angeles at age 16 to try her luck in the industry, Pacitti dusted herself off and got signed to A&M Records by Ron Fair — who also signed Christina Aguilera and Vanessa Carlton — and made appearances on the soundtracks to "Legally Blonde" ("Watch Me Shine"), "First Daughter" ("Fall"), the "Nancy Drew" movie ("Pretty Much Amazing") and "Bratz" ("Out From Under"). In fact, Britney Spears recorded a cover of "Out From Under" on her Circus album.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "American Idol" champ David Cook is going back to school, announcing a U.S. tour on Friday that will take him to colleges around the nation.

Cook's 37-date tour will begin on February 13 at Florida State University in Tallahassee and end on April 25 at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma, AOL music Web site www.PopEater.com said.

Most of the concerts will take place at colleges, including the University of Mississippi and the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. But Cook will also play at Seneca Niagara Casino in New York State and Ameristar Casino in Kansas City, Missouri.

Cook worked as a bartender while trying to make it in the business before winning "American Idol" in May 2008. He said he was keen to get back to his roots and promote the tradition of college tours.

It was a day of learning on American Idol as the judges hit up San Francisco for day three of the audition episodes.

Among the day’s lessons: naughty pictures may save you, a naughty face will not; the internet isn’t always the most reliable place for scientific singing tips; the “world’s most powerful psychic” is more reliable than Simon Cowell in predicting who will make it to Hollywood; and Kara DioGuardi may turn out to be just what we needed: a woman that will put Simon in his place.

This year’s new judge might have needed an episode or two to show her true colors, but the shell was off Tuesday and so were the gloves as she continuously sparred with America’s favorite cranky Brit. For Simon’s part he seemed to enjoy having a new challenger so much that, despite feigning annoyance like a crushed schoolboy, it was as though he was purposely instigating her. But regardless of Simon’s motives Kara’s made one thing very clear, she will be heard like it or not.

Louisville, Kentucky's Churchilll Downs is already known for big horses, big bets and even bigger hats. Now, thanks to American Idol, it will also be known for a few big voices.

Contestants made quite an impression in the home of the Kentucky Derby as the judges stopped in for day four of Season 8 auditions. And Simon, Paula, Randy and Kara were determined to make one right back, even if music was off the table.

Tiffany Shed, for example, can thank the judges for inspiring her to go to college after convincing her that her attempting a music career was the equivalent of a donkey in a race with 22 horses “you just wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Mark Mudd was also told music isn’t his thing, but according to Simon, "Wheel of Fortune" might be.

And Rebecca Garcia will likely never be a singer, but thanks to some motivation from Kara, perhaps she’ll consider a career in comedy.

Joanna Pacitti on the other hand should refrain from throwing in the towel on her singing career, despite the number of times she’s probably wanted to.

The return of ABC’s “Lost” was no match in the ratings for Fox’s “American Idol” on Wednesday. The singing competition dominated the night with 25.4 million viewers at 8 p.m., according to Nielsen’s estimates, giving Fox an easy victory but only a minor boost at 9 p.m. for the debut of “Lie to Me” (13.2 million).

What is with the short show tonight. Kinda disappointing. Does that say something for San Fransisco or is the show getting less and less people.

I don't get what the Simon, Randy, Paula and Kara were thinking tonight, More than half those people should have not been let through. Is San Francisco that lame that no good singers will come from it?

There was a time when stars were born. It appears now that stars are made. When Simon Cowell says "I like you", his simple phrase can supercede any lack of talent that a hopeful may have. And of course, Randy will fall all over himself to make sure that his opinion aligns with that of Simon's. The interesting thing is that Simon Cowell is generally the most correct in his quick assessment of an contestants' abilities. The problem occurs when his manly sensibilities override his artistic discernment, and he is captivated by a feminine wile. Perhaps he is demonstrating to the world just how secondary musical ability has become due to the advances in digital technology.

American Idol season 6 finalist, Chris Sligh, has something to smile about these days. His debut CD Running Back To You has become one of the best-selling albums on iTunes and the project has knocked the socks off critics from USA Today to CCMmagazine.com. The CD also had the highest debut on Christian SoundScan in it’s first week as well. Now Chris has even more great news to celebrate! Rascal Flatts has picked up one of his songs Here Comes Goodbye, co-written by Chris Lagerberg and will be putting it on their newest album Unstoppable which will be out in April. Chris Sligh has made it no secret that he wants to establish himself as a songwiter as well as a singer, he wrote or co-wrote every song on his debut CD, Running Back To You, which was released in 2008. Here Comes Goodbye is Chris Sligh’s first song to be cut by another artist, as well as the first song he gave to his publisher, Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing.

Her body has always been a temple – now girl-about-town Jasmine Lennard is turning it into a piece of art.

The 23-year-old – who has X Factor judge Simon Cowell’s initials inscribed on the inside of her arm and several white designs on intimate parts of her body – has just had another tattoo.

Jasmine has had the words ‘trust no one’ ominously engraved in black ink on her middle finger. She has also spoken to an expert about having her SC tattoo removed.

Jasmine Lennard has Simon Cowell's initials tattooed on her arm but has spoken to an expert about having it removed

‘It’s a message out there to anyone who has ever hurt me,’ reveals stunning Jasmine, who is living in LA. ‘It’s brought me a great sense of karma and I am happier than ever.’

Jasmine has always described Simon as one of her best friends and had the words ‘love passionately’ inscribed in white ink alongside her SC tattoo.

But it appears she is moving on from the millionaire TV

James Christian "Jimmy" Kimmel (born November 13, 1967) is an American television host and comedian. Before his current position as host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC, Kimmel was well-known as co-host of Comedy Central's The Man Show. Kimmel is also a successful television producer, with popular shows including Crank Yankers and The Andy Milonakis Show to his credit.

Phil Stacey's defining moment on American Idol came during Country Week, well into the competition.

"Country Week was the first one that had anything to do with my background," he says. "It was my chance to sing music I could really relate to, that drew on who I am and what I'd grown up around."

His knockout performance of Keith Urban's "Where The Blacktop Ends" impressed even the normally critical Simon Cowell, who acknowledged that the Kentucky-born singer had at last displayed his true identity in convincing style. That night, a national audience got a close-up look at a singer who had truly hit his stride.

Would we all have liked to do this once in awhile?

During a recent appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, one American Idol judge worked with the talk show host to solve the problems in another judge’s love life.

In-between talking about the upcoming season and other music tidbits with Ellen, Randy Jackson attempted to find a lady love for his acerbic co-host.

“Let’s talk about Simon Cowell being single,” suggested Ellen. “I bet you’re helping him now.”

“His social skills need some work,” laughed Jackson.

During a recent appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, one American Idol judge worked with the talk show host to solve the problems in another judge’s love life.

In-between talking about the upcoming season and other music tidbits with Ellen, Randy Jackson attempted to find a lady love for his acerbic co-host.

“Let’s talk about Simon Cowell being single,” suggested Ellen. “I bet you’re helping him now.”

“His social skills need some work,” laughed Jackson.

Kara DioGuardi has won other kudos. In 2003, she took home a BMI Cable Award for co-writing and performing 'Somethin' to Say,' the theme to the now-canceled Lifetime Television series 'For the People,' which starred Lea Thompson, Debbi Morgan, A. Martinez and Cecilia Suarez. And in 2007 she was named BMI's pop songwriter of the year for 2006, as she had accumulated 10 BMI awards in the previous four years for having written the 'most performed songs on the radio.'"

Paula Abdul has the most showbiz hardware among all of the "American Idol" judges. She won a Grammy Award way back in 1990 for best short form music video for the track "Opposites Attract." And she also has a pair of Emmy Awards that she picked up for choreography. Abdul won a Emmy on her own in 1989 for "The Tracy Ullman Show" and was one of three choreographers on the 1990 "American Music Awards (along with Dean Barlow and Michael Darrin) to tie with Walter Painter who choreographed the opening of the Disney-MGM studios. She had been a solo nominee in 1988 for "The Tracy Ullman Show" but lost to Alan Johnson who handled the dance numbers in the song-filled "Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration."  read more »

University of Louisville students gathered at the Floyd Theater on Belknap Campus Jan. 13 to kick off the new “American Idol” season with giveaways, free food and music.

The Resident Student Association sponsored the event, which was one of only eight official campus kick off parties nationally for the show’s new season.

More than 100 students attended. RSA president Tommy Vollmar, a Villa Hills, Ky., junior, said he was excited about the opportunity to host the event and was pleased with the turnout.

“This was really all about campus life,” he said. “We wanted to get people together.”

Event co-sponsors were the university's Student Government Association; Sodexo, UofL's food services provider; and local radio station KISS 98.9 FM. The FOX television network provided giveaways.

Before the show started, KISS deejay Matt Ryan led a student-judged karaoke contest.

There seemed to be some sort of irony at play when Taylor Hicks breezed into town for a Saturday concert the weekend following "American Idol's" Season 8 premiere. Indeed, the sight of the silver-maned Season 5 champ performing at a crowded (but not sold out) Martyrs' could have served as a reminder of how much like "Logan's Run" the "Idol" cycle is, moving quickly to brush former contestants aside.

Hicks, who was dropped by his record label in January 2008 after releasing just one album, never experienced the success of other "Idol" champs (his debut remains the lowest selling of any former winner). But if the "Idol" machine was ready to relegate the 32-year-old to the history books, Hicks appeared ready to move past the show. The singer, backed by a five-piece band, didn't mention the eponymous series a single time during his 105-minute set, though he did note that "it's been a while since I've been in the club"—a reference to the years spent performing in arenas and theaters following his 2006 made-for-TV triumph.

Teen fans of “American Idol”, which kicked off its new TV season on Tuesday, will be able to get together and party avatar-style with the launch later this month of an “AI” virtual experience within the Habbo.com world.

It will be the first foray into a virtual community for the American version of the international hit TV show, says David Luner, senior vice president of interactive and consumer products for FremantleMedia Enterprises North America, the licensing division of “American Idol” producer FremantleMedia.

“’American Idol’ is already the world’s largest interactive event,” Luner says. “We had over 97 million votes in the season finale last year. We’ve been looking at the virtual world space for a long time, because of the incredible communities that have been built, the online loyalty and the chance for direct contact with the viewer and the consumer.  We looked at everything from building our own world to partnering, but the chance to partner with Habbo.com was just too good to pass up.”

ORLANDO -- Disney World's specialty is fantasy, but a new attraction opening Feb. 14 will deal in real-life dreams.

The American Idol Experience, a near-exact replica of the theater the "American Idol" TV show uses, will give singers a chance to audition, perform and maybe even get a spot to try out for the real "Idol."

If the singing is as polished as the set, it should be another Mickey triumph.

If the singing is bad, no Disney magic will be able to fix it.

I got a look at the "Idol" set. It has a black, blue and silver stage, replete with hi-def cameras, judges' table and a 1,000-seat auditorium.

American Idol host Ryan Seacrest and Australian pop singer and model Sophie Monk were seen ducking into a backseat together after leaving L.A.  read more »

Could dumping Ryan Seacrest help "American Idol" saggy ratings?

That's what the folks at Fox may be wondering, a source close to the show told the Scoop this week.

Seems studio-sponsored audience surveys are also asking questions about Seacrest and his interaction between the contestants and the judges.

While all of the main players were included in the question, “How important are each of the following people to your overall enjoyment of ‘American Idol’?” the survey also asks participants to weigh in on two extra statements: “I like the interaction between Ryan and the contestants” and  “I like the interaction between the judges and Ryan.”

Hmmm. Wonder what the answers were?

Charges against American TV/radio personality RYAN SEACREST accusing him of stealing the idea for his new reality show from a four-year-old Turkish series have been dropped.
The last-minute lawsuit filed on Monday (15Dec08) in Manhattan federal court alleged Seacrest and NBC network ripped off the idea for his new series Momma's Boys from Perfect Bride, which debuted in Turkey in 2004.

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES star NICOLLETTE SHERIDAN has lashed out at AMERICAN IDOL host RYAN SEACREST after he made "rude" comments about her on his radio show.
Sheridan launched her attack on Seacrest after TV host Ellen DeGeneres asked if she would ever go on a date with the presenter-turned-radio DJ.
The actress recoiled before insisting, "That's gross. I've met him... I did his radio show, and he was very rude about me the next day. So I don't like him. It (the remark) was nasty ... and untrue. Yeah, I don't like him. You should have a word with him."

The first American Idol "results" show of the season attracted almost the same number of viewers who tuned in to the comparable show a year ago -- 29.85 million. Unlike Tuesday night's show, which faced potent competition from network rivals and fell 10 percent in the ratings as a result, the Fox talent show on Wednesday went up against only one significant competitor -- CBS's Criminal Minds in the 9 00 p.m. hour. But that program drew "only" 14.05 million viewers, even as Idol peaked with 32.51 million in that hour.

Caption: American Idol David Cook signs autographs for fans on Jimmy Kimmel's outdoor stage Los Angeles, California

New AMERICAN IDOL judge KARA DioGUARDI has found an unusual family link - daytime U.S. TV personality REGIS PHILBIN is her cousin.
The pair's ancestors both hailed from the small town of Greci, Italy during the 18th and 19th centuries, DioGuardi discovered.
But Philbin failed to recognise the link until the Idol judge appeared on his U.S. chat show Live with Regis + Kelly on Monday (19Jan09), when producers handed him a detailed family tree showing the two were in fact distant relatives.

Hair today, gone tomorrow? That's not the case for Sanjaya Malakar, the Season 6 "American Idol" finalist as well known for the weekly restyling of his tresses (ponyhawk, anyone?) as his musical performances. He was the darling of the preteen set, culminating in the memorable hysterics of "crying girl" Ashley Ferl. And, along with Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson, he is among a handful of former "Idol" contestants who are as well-known as the people who actually won the competition.

Last week we chatted with the well-spoken 19-year-old, who now lives in a one-bedroom apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side, about his just- released book and five-song EP, both titled "Dancing to the Music In My Head." On Saturday Sanjaya will do a book signing at Book Revue (313 New York Ave., Huntington, 631-271-1442; bookrevue.com) at 7 p.m.

A big surprise is apparently awaiting American Idol's Top 12 eighth-season finalists.

"There's a big surprise coming when we get to the Top 12, but I can't reveal it right now," Fox reality chief Mike Darnell told TV Week in an interview released Sunday.  "It is something that will be talked about and is something I think that has some element of controversy surrounding it."

While Darnell declined to reveal specifics about the eighth-season surprise, Idol enthusiasts can breathe a sigh of relief since he hinted that it won't impact the show's "core."
"It's not going to change what you think of American Idol and we don't want to do that," he told TV Week.  "This show is, you know, a phenomenon. It's American, it's apple pie. We're not changing the core of the show."

Darnell added that details surrounding the surprise are not widely known by those involved with and participating in Idol's eighth season.

"No one knows," he told TV Week.  "It's a long season and you want to keep as many surprises for the audience, for the press, for everybody, as you go along. Some controversies will pop out. But this is something that we sort of felt like, here's one set of things we're doing, we're going to wait and give you the other set when we get to the final 12."

Fans of American Idol’s infamous bikini girl will hardly be surprised to learn her former profession: Hooters girl.

Katrina Darrell, the 21-year-old from California, was recently fired from a West Covina branch of the popular restaurant for leaving repeatedly during the middle of a shift, RadarOnline.com is reporting.

“All Katrina ever talked about was becoming famous,” one of her friends said. “Her one aim in life was to make it in Hollywood.”

Darrell reportedly worked at the restaurant, famous for its revealing uniforms, for just three months. Apparently, she didn’t have the talent to move up the ranks to become a waitress, and was instead stuck being a greeter at the door.

Not every celebrity is a fan of Ryan Seacrest. Especially not Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie!

Seacrest might be one of the most well-known TV and radio personalities around, but that doesn't mean Brangelina wants to talk to him. That became very apparent Sunday night at the Golden Globes.

Ryan was wrapping up interviewing boring Beyonce on E!'s live Golden Globes red carpet broadcast. Once finished, he spotted Brangelina. They walked right by him, with no intention of stopping, so Seacrest an off stage onto the red carpet to grab a quick chat with the hot couple.

That was pretty bad ass, we must admit. He wanted that interview and he was determined to get it!

That's when the hottest couple in Hollywood turned their backs on Seacrest. Literally.

When Ryan Seacrest went to interview Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for E! News at the Golden Globes, they wanted nothing to do with him. Too funny! Maybe they just didn't see him since he's so short? Ryan complained about the snub on his KIIS-FM radio show this morning, "I asked her four questions and she didn’t even answer me!" Ryan is finally realizing that no one likes him. Give him a moment to process.

Could a computer pick the next “American Idol”? The next Ludacris or Madonna?

New software by Israeli researchers promises to take much of the guesswork (and endless cover songs) out of figuring out which hip-hop or R & B artist will be the next "it" star in the United States. Using a mathematical formula to sort music requests logged by the massive Gnutella peer-to-peer file-sharing network, the researchers have boasted an enviable 15 percent to 30 percent success rate in automatically choosing artists or bands with breakout potential.

The solution, according to Tel Aviv University electrical engineer Yuval Shavitt and his colleagues, “is based on the observation that emerging artists, especially rappers, have a discernable stronghold of fans in their hometown area, where they are able to perform and market their music.”

David dancinggg!! :D
and singing Crush

Check out this website they have funny pics of contestants and their lookalikes

Pics like: Michael Johns, Jason Castro,Sanjaya Malaka

http://television.aol.com/american-idol/2008/02/26/separated-at-birth-idol-lookalikes/

Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi,Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Ryan Seacrest

Here's the schedule from AmericanIdol.com:

• Jan 13 & 14: Auditions
• Jan 20 & 21: Auditions
• Jan 27, 28, 29: Auditions
• Feb. 3 &4: Hollywood Rounds
• Feb. 10 & 11: Hollywood Rounds
• Feb. 17 & 18: Top 36 Semifinal Round, Group 1
• Feb. 24 & 25: Top 36 Semifinal Round, Group 2
• March 3 & 4: Top 36 Semifinal Round, Group 3
• March 5: Wildcard Round
• March 10: Top 12 Round
• May 20: Finale

'American Idol' producer Ken Warwick released the details of the changes in store for season 8, including the schedule.

"They're not mega-changes," he told reporters at a press conference. "They are just little things to keep the whole format fresh and interesting."

Among those changes: There will be 36 semifinalists, as well as a wild-card round for the first time since season 3.

Then, the judges will select three more finalists from the wildcard round. "If something goes horrendously awry, the judges could fix it on the wild card show," Warwick said.

Some more tidbits from the press conference:

• Group numbers return to Hollywood Week
• No themes during the semifinals; contestants will be able to choose from Top 10 Billboard songs as far back as the 1950s
• There will be a Motown theme to celebrate its 50th anniversary
• More backstage footage
• Paula isn't leaving

Simon Cowell is ready to make another bold 'Idol' prediction.

According to MJ's Big Blog, Simon told Extra that he is "100% a guy will win this year."

If true, that would even the ratio of male to female winners at four a piece. Currently, the ladies are ahead with four winners (Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood and Jordin Sparks) to the guys' three (Ruben Studdard, Taylor Hicks and David Cook).

Simon is never one to shy away voicing his opinion. After her performance of Heart's "Alone" in Season Four, he told Carrie Underwood "Not only will you win this show, you will sell more records than any other previous Idol winner." This came true thanks to the help of Carrie's 7-time platinum selling debut CD, 'Some Hearts.'

The "Why Am I Here?" Award for the Personality Who Should Just Go Away: Why is Ryan Seacrest still on the air in so many venues? It has to be luck because it can't be good business sense. Between American Idol, E! News, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest and the horrible Mommas' Boys, Seacrest is just stinking up the joint.

Looks Interesting

American Idol Bikini Girl Katrina Darrell Private Pics!!

Unlike the Bikini Girl Katrina Darrell, these pictures were from a calendar shoot which all proceeds went to breast cancer research.

casey carlson american idol bikini

A University of Minnesota student has sung her way into the hearts of the judges on FOX-TV's "American Idol."

Casey Carlson, 20, of Eden Prairie, peeled off a few bars of Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles" in the audition that aired Wednesday night and was held last fall in Kansas City.

"I have a good vibe about you," said Simon Cowell, the toughest of the four judges.

"I would love to give you another chance," said fellow judge Paula Abdul.

The panel was unanimous in keeping Carlson's "AI" dream alive, securing her a trip to Hollywood.

"I'm so excited," Carlson, decked out in cowboy boots and a mostly white sleeveless dress with gray and red accents, told the television audience of many millions. "I can't even believe that it's real right now."

Oh, no! Is "American Idol" getting ... middle-aged?

Fox's singing competition returned for its eighth season Tuesday with a total audience of 30.4 million viewers, or a 9% decline compared with last year's launch, according to Nielsen Media Research.

But a more arresting detail is buried within the numbers. Tuesday's audience was the oldest ever for an "Idol" season opener, with a median age of 40.3 years. That's quite a bit older than the "Idol" contestants, who are all in their teens or 20s.

"Idol" has been "aging up," as they say in the TV business, every year. The series premiere, back in June 2002, had a median viewer age of 29.5. By the Season 4 opener, in January 2005, the median viewer was 35. Last year, the figure had crept up to 38.2.

Kara has worked with a variety of musicians. Here she is with Christina Aguilera - with whom she worked on "Ain't No Other Man" - and Stephen Finfer.

Kara DioGuardi and Paula Abdul get cozy on set

Paula's staying, but what about Simon?

Last week "American Idol" producer Ken Warwick put to rest rumors that Paula Abdul might leave the popular Fox reality show, but now Simon Cowell is speaking out to say he's undecided on his future.

"I'll make a decision about [whether to stay] next year," Cowell said Thursday in a conference call with reporters.

Cowell may duck out of the judging panel, not because of rumored personality conflicts, but because it"s a lot of work, reports MSNBC Scoop columnist Courtney Hazlett.

 "This show could continue for another 10 years," Cowell said.

Can an "American Idol" belter save Broadway?

In a word: no.

It'll take more than that to rescue the Great White Way, which has been hit hard (nine closings last week, and more to come this month) by a nosediving economy.

Still, it can't hurt for an Idol to try. And one shaggy-maned rocker from the popular TV reality contest is reportedly about to step up.

While word isn't yet official, Brooklyn-born Constantine Maroulis is said to be on board for the Broadway transfer of "Rock of Ages," the '80s musical of Journey, Bon Jovi and Whitesnake tunes.

Nice" judge Paula Abdul is insisting that she remains loyal to "American Idol."

The move comes following reports that she bashed the wildly popular show for giving airtime to alleged stalker-fan, Paula Godspeed.

"I am a big fan of the show," she said yesterday at a meeting with the Television Critics Association.

"I am blessed to be on the show. It's the greatest show on television all around the world and ... a gazillion people would love to be in my shoes."

The issue first arose last December when Abdul told Barbara Walters in a radio interview that Fox producers encouraged the behavior of Godspeed by allowing the clearly deranged fan to audition for "Idol" purely "for entertainment value."

Well, he's no bikini-girl Katrina Darrell, but Michael Castro still made a splash Wednesday night on "American Idol" for his family ties: the hot pink-haired singer is the brother of last season's sweet-voiced crooner Jason Castro.

Castro, 20, showed up for the Kansas City auditions and guess what? He's going to Hollywood! Just like big brother Jason.

The younger Castro performed Gavin DeGraw's "In Love with a Girl" to earn his ticket to the next round – a harder rocking tune than those favored by the elder Castro.

Big brother Jason won hearts during Season 7 with his yearning acoustic performances – the highlight being a rendition of the Leonard Cohen song "Hallelujah," – famously rerecorded by singer Jeff Buckley.

Michael and Jason Castro

Season 7 contestant Amanda Overmyer was arrested in 2006 for DUI.

A day after Idol Gives Back, Aussie Michael Johns was surprisingly eliminated from the competition. "I'm definitely surprised," he had said when he learned his fate.

Brooke White forgot something-the lyrics! During her performance of "You Must Love Me," she sang nine words only to have the band start over. Whoops.

David Archuleta and David Cook

humm which one is cuter?

David Archuleta at radio station.

Katharine McPhee released her self-titled album in 2006 but was dropped from her label. Still, there's good news! She married Nick Cokas and is set to star in I Know What Boys Like co-starring Rumer Willis.

Jennifer Hudson has agreed to sing the national anthem at next month's Super Bowl game in Tampa, Fla., E! Online reported.

The Feb. 1 performance will mark the first time Hudson will sing in public since her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew were shot to death in Chicago in October, allegedly by her brother-in-law.

Country star Carrie Underwood has found another sports star to romance, according to reports.

The pretty singer, who formerly dated Jessica Simpson's man Tony Romo, has been spotted at an Ottawa Senators ice hockey game, fueling rumors she's in a relationship with the team's star Mike Fisher.

According to Sports Illustrated, Underwood was spotted mingling with members of Fisher's family in a private box at a recent match-up.

Just over 30 million viewers tuned in for the season premiere of Fox’s “American Idol” on Tuesday, according to Nielsen’s estimates. Now in its eighth edition, the singing competition featured a new judge at the table, Kara DioGuardi, but drew the smallest audience for a debut of the series in five years, down 3.3 million from last year and 7.3 million from two years ago, when the sixth-season premiere earned 37.4 million viewers. Still, Fox had no trouble handily beating its network rivals and dominating the night’s ratings over all. Among viewers 18 to 49, the two-hour broadcast was off about 15 percent from a year ago.

There’s big news over at “American Idol” – not only is the show’s eighth season premiering on Tuesday night, but new judge Kara DioGuardi is engaged!

DioGuardi’s boyfriend, Mike McCuddy, popped the question on December 8, a rep for DioGuardi told People.

So while wedding bells will soon be in the air, the newest member of the “Idol” family is remaining focused on her work.

“No wedding date has been planned,” the rep added.

DioGuardi, 38, and McCuddy, a 34-year-old school teacher-turned-general contractor who has a son from a previous relationship, were on vacation in Mexico when McCuddy proposed.

Fox have announced today that this series of American Idol will see a more balanced judging panel as the show welcomes another female judge in the form of songwriter/music producer Kara DioGuardi.

DioGuardi has previously penned songs for singers like Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Santana and Pink.

At the judges table, Kara Diogaurdi, still the object of the greatest curiosity, largely blended into the crowd, offering few signature moments. Still, it can be attributed to her presence that the judicial branch seemed honest-to-God vibrant last night; Cowell showing none of the soul-wrenching boredom he's displayed for the last couple of years, and Paula sounding positively on top of things at times.

There was one potentially ominous moment early on. The great hope of Diogaurdi is that she will wield a stiletto razor-sharp enough to bring a new level of terror to the Idoldome. However, near the top of the show, when Simon told a singer that she sounded like a "cat jumping off the Empire State Building"
Diogaurdi jumped in, attempting to shush Cowell with the stunning claim that "that doesn't help anybody."

Such noble sentiments have no place on this show. We hope that we will soon see Diogaurdi dispense with them and let her claws out. We have seen enough flashes of those claws, both on Wednesday night's episode and in interviews, to know that they are there. And we can only trust that in the course of a long season, a person's true colors will inevitably come out -- and being "Idol's" second "nice judge" does not seem a natural fit for Kara.

1. Contestants may come from any of the 50 states, so long as it falls geographically between Arizona and Georgia.
2. Contestants must have logged at least 45,000 hours singing in front of the mirror, at family dinners and in church.
3. Any contestants who have received praise for their singing in public are not eligible.
4. Contestants must know with metaphysical certitude that they are destined the be the next American Idol.
5. Contestants must, however, exhibit great surprise and blush deeply when they receive praise from the judges.
6. Contestants must arrive at the audition looking approximately 75% to 82% worse than they plan to look three months hence. Extra points for stringy hair, skin conditions and slouching posture that can be corrected during the middle rounds.
7. Contestants must arrive with a very close family, preferably including one grandparent who played a critical role in their upbringing.  read more »

Judges seem a little lite hearted.

Not sure what the deal was but Kansas seem to have a lot of weirdo! a lot of cray and a lot of people who don't really know how bad they are. The one guy need to go back to his mother and tell her she was right.

Second showing of American Idol has come and passed. The men have taken the lead. A few good girls but mostly men. The girls will need to kick it up a notch.

This is one that should be watched

And he was shocked they said "NO"

Could this be your next American Idol?

It was 110 degrees in the shade, but that didn't stop thousands from turning out for the Season 8 American Idol auditions in Phoenix.

Look at shirt!

Rockers seem to on full view this year.