Sanjaya is Jordin's Idol

Until recently, when asked her favorite male singers, Jordin Sparks topped the list with John Mayer and Justin Timberlake. But the effervescent new American Idol champ said she's got another name to add: Sanjaya Malakar.

"He had so much guts,"' the 17-year-old American Idol winner told The Associated Press. "He had so much strength. He got a lot of criticism, but for him to go out on that stage and hold his head high . . . I really look up to him for that. He's just an amazing kid."

The lanky Malakar, also 17, made a strong impression during the sixth season of the Fox competition, transforming from shy guy to media superstar in a span of weeks.

Sparks said "the point of the show . . . is to keep who you like, who you want to see the next week. Sanjaya gave that to the people."

The two teens will sing with other finalists on the American Idol concert tour, which kicks off July 6 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and wraps up Sept. 23 in Manchester, N.H.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD AND TONY ROMO KAPUT

According to MSNBC, another celebrity relation-
ship has hit the skids. A source in the Dallas Cowboys organiza-
tion confirms a National Enquirer report that quarterback Tony Romo has dumped former "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood. But while the ''official'' explanation hints at the couple ''taking a breather'' so Romo can concentrate on the upcoming season, the station's source insists ''it's really over.''

Underwood is said to be devastated about the split -- especially since ''she thought things were moving in exactly the opposite direction,'' said the source.

Underwood's publicist, Jessie Schmidt, responded to the report in an e-mail Thursday. "We have no comment," he said.

The couple has made many public appearances together, including the Academy of Country Music Awards on May 15. Romo was also in the audience at the "American Idol" finale on May 23 as Underwood performed.

The magazine says Romo flew to Nashville to celebrate the singer's 24th birthday and she celebrated his 27th birthday at a Dallas nightclub.

Apparently this isn't the first time Romo has broken things off. According to the Enquirer, last season the QB said he needed to focus on football after they lost their playoff game. Underwood obliged by giving Romo some space, but not this time, the magazine says. This time she is upset.

"Carrie wants a firm commitment from Tony," the source said.

WORKING WARDROBE WITH JORDIN

The Canton Repository interviewed Louisville native and Idol wardrobe stylist Art Conn, whose job it was to take contestants Jordin Sparks, LaKisha Jones, Sanjaya Malakar and other "Idol" finalists shopping for their stage attire.

"I always liken [the show] to going to summer camp," said Conn. "You're in this experience with people for a short while, then everybody goes back to their normal lives. But for a brief moment in time, it's really interesting and life-changing."

Conn, 35, spoke fondly about 2007 "Idol" champion Jordin Sparks, 17, with whom he worked closely. "She's someone who knows what she likes when she sees it, which makes my job easier," he said. "She always had a lot of energy. Usually I have to pull these people along with me. I walk very quickly and I can scan a store in five seconds. But she was always two steps ahead of me."

Asked if Sparks was recognized while shopping for clothing at Los Angeles boutiques, Conn said, "We always try to keep them a bit incognito, but she's a 5-foot-10 girl with big curly hair. You can't really hide her too much!"

Was dressing full-figured LaKisha Jones for the stage a challenge? "I don't think she herself is a challenge," Conn said. "The challenge is the fashion industry doesn't make clothes that are really great for someone who is her size. After size 12, the clothes become really weird, and the shapes are not stylish and funky anymore. It becomes old lady clothes. We had a lot of stuff made for LaKisha. We worked with the designer Tadashi."

Sanjaya Malakar? "The last thing I said to him when he left was, 'You are the bravest 17-year-old boy I have ever met,' " Conn recalled. "He took everything with such a great sense of humor. He's going to be one of the most-remembered 'Idol' contestants ever."

According to Conn, the finalists get to keep 99 percent of the clothing they wear onstage.

At this year's star-studded "Idol" finale, Conn was reunited with 2005 "Idol" winner and current superstar recording artist Carrie Underwood. "We have a lot of laughs," Conn said about Underwood. "She remembers shopping with me and how much she hated shopping in general. Now, of course, she looks amazing."

On last season's "Idol," Conn worked closely with champion Taylor Hicks and first runner-up Katharine McPhee. "It's great to see people you met two seasons ago who didn't know much about clothing at all, and now they are all about fashion and style."

PAULA LOOPY AGAIN?

The New York Post says that Paula Abdul 's behavior seems to be getting wackier by the day. First the paper reported that the "American Idol" judge had lied to fans about how she had broke her nose, saying that she had not tripped over her dog, but had actually pitched a fit, threw something into a mirror or glass object, and a shard of glass struck her in the face, which explained why Paula's nose didn't seem swollen. A rep for Abdul termed the account "absolutely, categorically untrue."

Now the paper says that at the recent Fragrance Foundation 2007 FiFi Awards, the "American Idol" judge was slotted to open the evening -- but she arrived 30 minutes late, and a spy told Page Six she "was so completely out of it" when she finally showed.

"They had to delay the show for her to get there, and it was almost impossible to understand her . . . her eyes were half open," the source said. "She had to have two guys help her to her seat after she left the stage." (though she sounds pretty lucid in an ET.online video that was shot that night, watch video here located on right-hand side of page midway down.)

Her bizarre appearance came just hours before Page Six hit newsstands with the exclusive story of her embarrassing meltdown during a recent conference call. In that jaw-dropping diatribe, she trashed her former publicist, Howard Bragman, ranting, "I don't understand how this man can call me a whining bitch. I've never in my life been called a whining bitch and a loser."

She also wailed on the tape: "I've never been treated this way and I've never seen anybody treated this way. This is just too much to stomach."

In recent interviews, Abdul, who says she doesn't drink, explained she's been on painkillers for years from injuries to four vertebrae in her neck that required 14 surgeries.

Abdul has also denied she is suffering from Addison's, despite discussing the adrenal disease on the leaked conference call with her management. In a tape obtained by the New York Post, Abdul outlines her health problems and talks about Addison's disease, a disorder that causes irritability, chronic fatigue and muscle weakness. However, the 44-year-old insists she is just exceptionally tired.

And in even more evidence of Abdul's strange behavior of late, TMZ.com says it has learned that it was Paula Abdul who told her publicist not to show up to a taping of "The Jimmy Kimmel Show."

An audiotape obtained by the New York Post's reportedly has a sobbing Paula claiming uber-publicist Howard Bragman was a no-show at the May 15 taping. TMZ is told that's so not true. The Web site says it has learned that Bragman was on the way to the Kimmel studio when Paula's assistant called and told him that she didn't WANT him to come to the taping. Bragman said OK, and followed instructions.

Forty-five minutes to an hour later, Paula's assistant called Howard, asking where he was! Howard essentially told the assistant -- uh, hello? You just called me and said she didn't want me there. The assistant responded "Well, you know how Paula is." Howard said, "Yes I do, and I'm not a yo-yo and I'm not a puppet." And that was that.

TMZ contacted Howard Bragman, who would not comment on our story. All he said was, "I'll stand by my reputation if she'll stand by hers." A rep for Paula did not immediately return our call for comment.

Abdul also told OK! Magazine that she’s cut back the meds that she takes for severe neck pain that resulted from a 1987 car crash and a later 1993 plane crash: "I inject myself with a shot of Humira every two weeks. ... I also use Enbrel and Relafen [an anti-inflammatory drug] and the painkiller Lidocaine. If I appear exhausted on television, it’s because I am! I have a lot of sleepless nights because I’m in so much pain. I was taking far more medication on earlier seasons, and nobody said anything."

PHILLIPPI SPARKS ON JORDIN AND SIMON

Excerpts from Sports Illustrated's interview Jordin Sparks' dad, with former New York Giants player Phillippi Sparks:

It used to be "Jordin Sparks, daughter of former NFL player Phillippi Sparks." Now it's "Phillippi Sparks, father of American Idol winner Jordin Sparks."

What you want as a dad is for your kids to outdo you, and that's what happened. Being Jordin Sparks' dad is going to last a lot longer than being Phillippi Sparks the football player.

Were you nervous at the finals?

Not really. I told her to look at it like a football season. I told her this is her Super Bowl. She said, "Dad, don't worry about it. I got it."

Did the cornerback in you want to drill Simon Cowell?

I love him, bro. It's a show, and I understood that. At the beginning we were interviewed by psychologists to make sure if someone said something to our daughter we wouldn't snap [laughs].

Your daughter said that Tony Dungy was her American Idol. Why?

More than anything, it was because of who he is as a man and his character, and the stuff that has affected him. He stayed the same as a good Christian man. I think that was how Jordin looked at. His character and how he fought through so much. That's what she loves him and I love him. He's an awesome man.

Was there anything in your football career that compares to this?

No. This is like 20 Super Bowls. You are talking about being the No. 1 most recognizable young lady in the world right now. I'm still dreaming.

Can you sing?

I sang from third grade to 12th grade. My mom had us in choir. I can hold a tune. Maybe that's where Jordin got her rhythm from [laughs].

You were in the audience when they announced she won. What's it's like to witness your child accomplish her dream?

I was overwhelmed. I was crying like a little baby. That's how overjoyed my wife and I, and her little brother [P.J.] were. We are a tight knit family and to see that moment, she had to work harder compared to the other contestants. She had to get up 4 or 5 every morning to do homework, and do stuff the none of the other contestants had to do. For her to pull through was remarkable.

When did you know Jordin could sing?

The age of 3. She was singing and talking in full sentences. She had a raspy voice like Mariah Carey so we called her Mariah.

Can your wife sing?

No, not a bit [laughs]. She cannot hold a note. But she's brilliant and she can play the piano.

What former teammates or former NFL players have you heard from?

Brian Saxton, Marcus Buckley, Rodney Hampton, Jeremy Lincoln. Darren Woodsen called me and I saw Ray Buchanan in L.A.

In the early rounds, you watched Idol sporadically. Why?

Because I knew there was a bigger picture to what she was going. I knew what was going on. I would give her my advice and text her but we have a son who is 15 named P.J. and so my wife was with Jordin and I had my son.

Does he play sports or sing?

He is phenomenal football player and basketball player. This dude is an academic All-America. I had the opportunity to coach at Arizona State when Dirk Koetter was there. Koetter came up to me and put his arm around my son and said, Oh, we have another Devil here. My son looked at him and said, Only if Miami doesn't want me [laughs].

You've been coaching football [defensive backs] at Glendale Community College?

I was there but I am going to try to coach at Boulder Creek, which is a new high school near me.

She's mentioned Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Leandro Barbosa and Shawn Marion as her favorite athletes. She digs sports?

Listen, we used to take Jordin to the Devils, the Nets and Broadway plays when we were in New Jersey. She opened up the Cardinals Stadium in 2006 by singing the national anthem. I'm telling you from East Coast to West Coast, it was the most remarkable anthem people have ever heard.
So is she going to play the Super Bowl one day?

I already have people from the Super Bowl talking to me. But I'm not going to say anything [laughs]. Oops.

What will Jordin do next?

She is still doing high school. She's home schooled, doing it on the computer. She's very smart. There will also be a American Idol Tour.

Do you miss football?

Every day I miss it. I actually think I can play but everyone thinks they can still play. I miss it every day but I know there is a point in time where you have to let go. If I made a comeback they would probably laugh so I know one thing for sure: I cannot hold guys that are 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds and run a 4.3. That's for sure.

Who was the best guy who ever went up against?

I thought Terry Glenn and Marvin Harrison were beasts. Did I hold my own? Let's just say partly cloudy but fair (laughs).

How much do you worry about the pressure on Jordin regarding things like her looks or weight or what people perceive an American Idol winner should look like?

What is really cool is that Jordin does not care. She does not how people look at her. That was she is so special at 17. If she cared about that, she would have listened to the critics. She is a full-time model for Torrid Modeling [a fashion brand which empowers plus size young women] and that was a blessing.

What's it like when the dream actually comes true?

It's been something she has been working at for a mighty long time in her own eyes. Ever since she went to junior American Idol when she was 14, she told Randy Jackson that she would come back and win American Idol. And it actually happened.

LAKISHA TO BE HONORED IN MICHIGAN

The Associated Press reports that Flint, Mich., native LaKisha Jones will be honored June 11th at the state Capitol in Lansing. Gov. Jennifer Granholm will deliver remarks during the event. Jones will also perform, along with the youth choir from her Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church.

The 27-year-old bank clerk became a fixture on "American Idol." She made the semifinals and remained on the show until May 9th. Despite that setback, Jones' star continues to rise back home. Flint has designated June 9th as "LaKisha Day" when she will be the guest of honor at a homecoming rally at 5 p.m. June 9 at the historic stadium at 701 W. Third Ave. in Flint's Carriage Town district.

The event will be free to the public and will include speeches and performances by various entertainers, including Jones, who says she'll sing "one or two selections from the show."

"I'm looking forward to coming back on the 9th and having a good time," she said by phone from Houston, where she lived for six years and was the guest of honor at a similar rally (watch video here ).

"I'll get to say hello to everybody, get some autographs signed and let the city know how much I appreciate them."

Most of the details of the city-sponsored event are still being worked out by a five-member committee headed by Flint City Attorney Trachelle Young, who organized weekly viewing "American Idol" parties at City Hall while Jones was on the show.

Jones said she has to return to Los Angeles on June 12 for rehearsals for the "American Idols Live" tour.

JORDIN HAS PRE-THANKSGIVING CD DEADLINE

With the sixth season of "American Idol" over, according to MTV, newly crowned champ Jordin Sparks now faces a struggle of a different sort: trying to stay sane.

"This is so intense. It's crazy," she laughed. "I haven't been home yet since I won. I was in L.A. and then New York, and now I'll finally get to go home and spend some time with my friends. I hope."

Such is life for the "Idol" princess. Since taking home the title last week, Sparks has been on a seemingly endless parade of interviews and promotional appearances. And it doesn't look like things will be slowing down anytime soon — quite the opposite, in fact. The show's summer tour kicks off July 6, and Sparks already has a deadline for her debut album. That means it's never too early to begin soliciting for collaborators, a list Sparks says includes a couple of crooners popular with the under-17 set.

"I'd love to do a duet with Mario or Chris Brown ... but let's see what happens," she said. "I have a lot of work ahead of me. I have a deadline [for my album] already. It should be out before Thanksgiving. And I'm going to be doing the tour and trying to find songs at the same time. And then after the tour, it's gonna be record, record, record, write, write, write."

And just what will Sparks' yet-untitled debut sound like? Well, according to her, a lot like ... pretty much everything.

"I can't really describe what I want it to sound like. I'm a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll, a little bit pop, a little bit R&B," she said. "I listen to Nat King Cole and Patsy Cline and Bon Jovi and Heart and 'NSYNC and Britney and Christina and Justin Timberlake too. I want to mix it all together. I hope people like it. On the show, [you had to be] versatile. You had to do everything and twist it around and make it your own. So I'm used to being like that."

And while the pressure will undoubtedly be on Sparks to perform on par with former "Idol" champs, she said she's actually more worried about living up to another set of expectations: those of her young fans.

"The other day, I walked outside, and there were these two little girls out there, and they said, 'Jordin, you're my inspiration! I want to be like you!,' and it was so amazing," she said. "I get emotional about it, because I remember being a little girl and looking up to people. And now little girls are looking up to me, and I love it.

"Being a teenager is hard — I mean, you look at magazines, and it's in your face all the time — 'you've got to lose weight or change or you'll never make it' — and I want to change all that," she continued. "I want to break the mold and be somebody girls look up to. I'm not much of a partyer — I don't drink or anything like that — so I don't think you'll catch me out at all those types of things. I'm comfortable with who I am, and I don't want to change. I love being me. I was happy before 'Idol,' and I'll be happy after."

JARED AND ANTONELLA AT CHARITY EVENT

The New Jersey Courier News reports that "American Idol" semi-finalists and New Jersey residents Jared Cotter and Antonella Barba will help kick off the Somerset Hills Relay For Life, an annual event that raises money for the American Cancer Society, at 6 p.m. on June 8. Both will be available for meet-and-greets following the opening ceremonies.

For the entire evening, volunteers will walk around the lake to symbolize that cancer never sleeps. Over the last four years, the event has raised more than $600,000 to fight cancer.

For more information on the relay or how to get involved, call 908-953-9644.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post xreports that Barba is headed back to school in D.C. The Catholic University architecture student says she'll return this summer to make up the classes she missed while competing on the show, in hopes of graduating with her friends next spring.

Asked what she would do if show biz opportunities arise, she said, "If I want to do music, I'll have to pursue it," she said hesitantly. "Wouldn't it be great if I could do both?"

New Jersey native Barba, 21, was an early breakout star this season. A coltish beauty with a jazzy vibe, she briefly became the most Googled girl in the universe. So of course someone leaked boudoir photos to the Internet; later some XXX-rated photos emerged, though friends denied the woman in them was Barba. When some "pitchy" notes just barely kept her from the top 12, Barba vanished: "I just wanted to stay out of the public eye a bit." While other "Idol" evictees jumped at any fame-extending invitation, Barba says she didn't return a phone call for two months.

"You have to wait for what's right," she said. "You can't take the first thing."

If she had to do it all over again, would she? "Um . . . I don't regret going on 'American Idol.' I'm thankful for the opportunities. . . . Even if you've made right or wrong decisions, you can't regret them, because you've learned from them. Everything happens for a reason. I'd like to know what it is, though."

So, she's coming back for summer classes . . . and definitely for the fall? "Probably!" she said. "It's a question mark."

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© 2007

American Idol Top 10 Spoilers

UPDATE: The source we trusted for the spoiler information now reports that most of it was incorrect. Instead of putting any more incorrect material out there, we'll just wait until after the show airs to update you again. Later ...

Here's an advance look at the order of the lineup for tonight's show, as well as what is going to be sung and worn by the contestants. If you don't want to know in advance STOP READING NOW!

Before we give you the rundown, here's the biggest surprise of the evening and a change in the current rules, according to idolforums.com:

The entire 10 performances fit into the full hour of the show. The extra seven minutes are actually for the return of a pretaped segment of recordings by Antonella Barba, Sundance Head, Sabrina Sloan, Jared Cotter, Stephanie Edwards and Brandon Rogers (a capella). Viewers will be able to vote on an 11th phone line for one of these people to join the tour (not return to the show)!!

And although Fox originally released the theme as pop songs, in an interview with ET online, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe said that tonight's theme is songs that have inspired Gwen Stefani:

ET: What theme nights produce better shows? A restrictive theme, such as songs of Diana Ross, or this week's pop-music theme, when the Top 10 could sing just about anything?

Nigel Lythgoe: This week, it couldn't really be anything, because it is artists that inspire Gwen Stefani. Gwen has given us a list of artists, so it is pinned down a little bit. I think for the contestants, it is much better when the genre is open. "British Invasion" turned out much better than we all dreamed, because a good song has the ability of changing and coming up to date. I love the older songs more because there is more melody there and a proper written song. So it has a verse, chorus and a bridge. It just makes it a little more interesting.

On the rating drop this season, Nigel said: Even if we lost 50 percent of our audience, we would still be in the top three shows in the country. I am not that worried. Everybody keeps telling me it has to do with daylight savings. Also, it affects the programs with [the highest ratings the most], obviously. To be honest about it, people are saying that this is not our greatest year for talent. I don't necessarily agree with them. I think we have five or six of the best singers we have ever had. If it is a bad year for talent, we will find out over the next few weeks.

On the advice from the judges: The great thing about this show is it is so subjective. The fun is in disagreeing with what people say. If I was a contestant and listening to everything that has been said over the past six seasons, I wouldn't know what to do from one week to the next. Because they tell you one week, "You're playing it safe." Then the next week, they say, "It is dangerous to do this." Then, "You have chosen the wrong song." It is a tough one. You just have to get out there and sing people's socks off. End of story.

On which contestant has surprised him this year: Jordin continues to surprise me. I am watching her grow week-on-week from this 17-year-old that I saw a number of years ago when she auditioned for "American Juniors." I am watching a young lady come to fruition.

On genres not yet done he'd like to see: I would love to do The Eagles, the music of The Beatles, and there are a number of songwriters -- the lyrics of Hal David, Carole King -- anything that gives the contestants really good melodic songs to sing and a wide choice. I hate pinning them down too much.

On whether he laughed at the "Saturday Night Live" Sanjaya bit: I don't need the thick skin. Sanjaya needs the thick skin. I am old school, so anytime my shows are talked about I am happy in whatever way it is discussed. I will always defend anything on my shows if I feel it is defensible. "SNL" has often had pot shots at us and we have always enjoyed it. Part of our humor here is making fun of ourselves, so it really doesn't worry me that anybody else makes fun of us. (Watch the hilarious SNL bit below. Here are links to SNL videos of Carrie Underwood on the same show singing "Before He Cheats" and "Wasted.")



On whether Taylor Hicks will be on the show this season and what Lythgoe thought of Hicks' CD: Of course [he'll be on the show]. Taylor Hicks is our "Idol" this season. I haven't heard [his CD] it, to be honest.

Is it unusual that he hasn't heard Hicks' CD: No. Kelly Clarkson's I heard. Carrie Underwood's. I haven't heard Fantasia's, Ruben's or Taylor's. I haven't heard an awful lot of the other releases. It is not my type of music, to be frank with you. I like more middle-of-the-road stuff. When they leave us, they go to different genres. I like country, which is why I played Carrie. I wanted to see where Kelly was going because she was our first Idol. I have very little time to listen to outside music. I am constantly listening to the music that we are doing that week, and trying to get everything downloaded to give the kids as wide a choice as I can.

Tonight's performance order, songs, clothing and YouTube.com links (when available):

1. LaKisha Jones - "Love Has a Mind of Its Own" by Donna Summer (very long blue dress, jewlery all over)




2. Blake Lewis - "Love Song" by The Cure (black pants, white dress shirt)



3. Jordin Sparks - "Hey Baby" by No Doubt (pink dress that splits down the legs)



4. Chris Richardson - "Don't Speak" by No Doubt (black shirt, black shorts, bandana)




5. Gina Glocksen - "Just Like a Pill" by Pink (black tank top, white skirt)




6. Phil Stacey - "Every Breath You Take" by The Police (blue shirt, black pants)




7. Haley Scarnato - "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper (long pink dress)




8. Sanjaya Malakar - "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5 (tight black pants, puffy blue shirt)



9. Melinda Doolittle - “Sunset People” by Donna Summer (huge gown, bigger then Lakisha’s, red)



10. Chris Sligh - "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by The Police (brown shirt, black pants)



The Ford Video: "Push" by Matchbox 20, which breaks into "Love Will Save the Day."

We're puzzled as to why Melinda and LaKisha have chosen obscure Donna Summer songs. Although they'll no doubt (ahem) sing the heck out of them, in the case of Idol familiarity seldom breeds contempt -- it usually garners votes. So we think these choices could hurt the two divas.

Listening again to the selections the other contestants have chosen, they all seem voice-appropriate and we are forecasting another good night of music for Idol. We do worry about Haley's pick of "True Colors." Although we love the Cyndi Lauper song, we seem to recall Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" as the Idol Kiss of Death for Nadia in Season 4 (or maybe it was her Mohawk that did it).

We're thrilled to see Sligh in the pimp spot and hope he finally proves to viewers what a great voice he has. We've known it for months, but he didn't really start demonstrating it until he sang "She's Not There" by The Zombies last Tuesday. We also hope the pimp spot means that he's been forgiven by the show's executive producers for his "Hi Dave" Vote for the Worst shout-out last week. It would be horrible if they were to set him up in the pimp spot and then eliminate him the next night (but keep in mind that Idol does love to shock viewers and nothing would be beyond belief at this point -- especially with the change in rules for the tour being initiated tonight). All we can say is "Go Sligh!"

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© 2007

The Feud Continues

It seems as if the Simon Cowell-Jennifer Hudson sassback is not going to end any time soon. Prior to the Academy Awards, Cowell was all smiles and sweetness about Hudson. He surprised Hudson (via videocam) with this pre-Oscar win message: "We are rooting for you. I have a feeling you're going to win tonight. What you have done is literally extraordinary. None of us would have called it - apart from me. And I think I did mention the word Oscar when I first saw you in Chicago. I think you're going to win. And guess what? You deserve it." Hudson, responded with equal sugar, "It feels good. Thank you Simon, he left me a really sweet message."

But when Hudson failed to thank "Idol" after her Oscar win, and in fact called the show "a stepping stone" for her in an interview later that night, Cowell went ballistic. According to People magazine he said, "Jennifer Hudson said 'American Idol' was a 'stepping-stone' for her. Stepping stone? It was her big opportunity to become noticed and she got noticed and she got 'Dreamgirls.' " He also said that other past contestants "deliberately turn against the show that made them successful. The reason [people] come on the show is because all the doors had been slammed in their face."

And he didn't let it go there. He took another shot at Hudson while praising Melinda Doolittle Wednesday night, saying, "It is very, very nice that you are actually enjoying every second you're having on this show. We hear previous contestants saying 'It was my stepping-stone, it was this.' You are loving it, and you should. This is your time in the spotlight."

Well, apparently that peeved Hudson enough that she shot back with this comment, according to Hollywood.com: "If I'd been any better at my job when I was at Burger King in my middle teens I wouldn't be here either, so should I thank them too?"

Hudson accused Cowell of not being a fan of hers when she was on the show and even issued a challenge to prove it when she was recently on the Fox station in Los Angeles, saying "He wasn't; someone should rewind the tapes."

Well, 'Extra,' which employs Cowell's girlfriend, Terri Seymour, as a correspondent did. And the results won't please Hudson. "You have proved why you're in the final 12," Cowell told her after she performed "The Circle of Life." "That was great." At other times, Cowell told Hudson, "You've now put yourself in the position where you could be a frontrunner" and "You've created something in this competition we've never had before, which is a battle of the divas." And when she was eliminated, Cowell actually expressed shock, remarking "Tongue, floor" after the vote was revealed.

Only one instance was found in which Cowell criticized Hudson. "I think you're out of your depth in this competition," he told her early on in the competition, for a sub-par performance. To see film clips of all of this click here.

Others have blamed Cowell of being responsible for Hudson's ouster from Season 3 of "Idol." Most recently, after a negative critique, Antonella Barba made the mistake of telling Cowell "You were wrong about Jennifer Hudson, so, hopefully ..." Cowell lost no time correcting her with, "We put Jennifer Hudson on 'American Idol.' The American audience voted her out; I didn't kick Jennifer Hudson out."

Cowell also told "Extra's" Seymour that he doesn't think Hudson owes him an apology. "Does she owe me an apology? No. I wouldn't expect an apology from Jennifer, funny enough. I think she should remember the team behind her ... and you can remember the audience people who bothered to pick up the phone, but, no, I wouldn't expect an apology from Jennifer, no." Seymour asked, "If you could sit down with her, what would you say to her?" Cowell answered, "I'd say thank your lucky stars, you've had two breaks in your life, 'American Idol' and 'Dreamgirls.' It doesn't get any better than that." See it here.

SIMON, YOU DOG

"If I see a baby, it's a baby. If I see a puppy, it's a whole different ballgame." - Simon Cowell

Who knew about Simon's softer side? But he's an animal lover, for sure. Check out this spot he did for PETA (warning there is some horribly graphic footage), where he talks about animals and more, including his soft spot for Fantasia.

WISHING AND HOPING

Entertainment Weekly asked the finalists:

Any song you haven't sung yet, or haven't gotten cleared yet, that you really want to perform?
Haley Scarnato: ''Songbird'' by Eva Cassidy.
Brandon Rogers: ''Crazy'' by Gnarls Barkley.
Melinda Doolittle: Donnie Lane's ''It's Not Over,'' Vivian Green's ''Keep on Going,'' and a James Brown song called ''Bewildered.''
Blake Lewis: ''Hide and Seek'' by Imogen Heap, I kind of want to do that, with strings or maybe a capella.
Sanjaya Malakar: ''Are You Going to Be My Girl'' [by Jet] — I really wanted to sing that song because it would be really fun to just rock out, but I doubt it'll ever get cleared.
Lakisha Jones: ''I Will Always Love You'' by Whitney Houston. Yes, definitely. Man, I want to do that one a cappella.
Jordin Sparks: ''Harder to Breathe'' by Maroon 5.
Gina Glocksen: ''Who Knew'' by Pink, but she doesn't clear her songs.
Chris Sligh: I actually tried to do one of my own songs, and they felt like the show wasn't ready for it yet. When we get down to, I think, the final three, you get to sing your own choice. I'd love to be able to do my own song at that point. Hopefully America will love me enough to be ready for it. I also wanted to do ''Hysteria'' by Muse and ''City of Blinding Lights'' by U2, but neither one of those got cleared.
Phil Stacey: Whatever song it is that wins the competition for the winner [of American Idol].

There are a lot of theme nights coming up. Any you're looking forward to? Any you're not looking forward to?
Chris Sligh: I'm looking forward to Bon Jovi week, if I can make it that far. Diana Ross is going to be tough, because she had this weird range, about seven or eight notes, and that's about it. So it's really hard to, like, rock out to Diana Ross, you know what I'm sayin'?
Stephanie Edwards: Diana Ross. I love ''Baby Love, ''Ain't No Mountain High Enough,'' and ''You Are So Beautiful.''
Melinda Doolittle: Tony Bennett. I love classics and standards. I'm also looking forward to Diana Ross. I'd take almost any song that the Supremes have done, as long as I can do the movements — probably ''Stop in the Name of Love.''
Phil Stacey: I'm looking forward to the Tony Bennett night. I remember hearing him sing ''I Left My Heart in San Francisco'' when I was a kid and thinking, ''Man, I want to be Tony Bennett.''
Blake Lewis: Tony Bennett. I have a [music] improv background, so if I can work with that man, that'll be just, man, awesome.
Chris Richardson: I would love to make it to the inspirational week. For me, Diana Ross week is strenuous because Diana Ross is a woman and the Supremes were all women, and it's hard to make a woman's song a man's song, but you can do it.
Jordin Sparks: Being so young, J.Lo, Gwen Stefani, they're current, but everybody else [coming on] my parents knew growing up — they're idols to them. I can't wait; I'm excited! I can't wait to meet them!
Lakisha Jones: It's going to be a challenge for me, because I'm used to just listening to only the music that I like. I'm like [after hearing there will be a British Invasion week], I've never listened to British music in my life. I was like, black girl singing British, oh my God, hold on — how am I gonna pull that off? How am I gonna feel that? I've just got to grab it and get a good song.

Is there something about your appearance you'd like to make over, or definitely don't want to touch?
Stephanie Edwards: I want to cut my hair even shorter than it is. And color it red. Do something radical.
Gina Glocksen: I want to chop off my hair. I said that from Day One. I've always wanted short hair.
Sanjaya Malakar: [Gesturing to his hair, with a huge grin] I think it would be really fun to just shave it off! I don't know if it's smart, but I think it would be really, really fun to just see people's reactions.
Haley Scarnato: I'm up for anything, but I don't want any crazy colors. [Laughs] So nothing, like, too drastic.
Blake Lewis: Definitely not. I came here with my own style, just being me. No one's telling me what to do. Everything you see here are all my own clothes.
Chris Richardson: I don't want to change anything, I am who I am and they might want to change something but I just want to stay true to myself.
Brandon Rogers: I like me just the way I am... and nobody's changing my hair.
Chris Sligh: I've lost about 30 pounds since Hollywood. So I'm trying to look better. Obviously, TV is a visual medium, and I understand that. I'd want to keep [my hair] a little longer. I don't want to go in the same direction that Justin Guarini did, but I think we're going to look at making it fall a little bit more and making it a little more rock star.
Phil Stacey: I'd pretty much be down for whatever, if they start putting wigs on my head, that kind of thing. It's fun. We'll see. You never know.
Jordin Sparks: [Takes hold of a ringlet of hair] I think they're going to straighten it, and they might do some extensions with different colors. Like, Gina — I love her hair! I don't want to be Gina, but I want hair like that. Maybe some pink and some red, and I might throw some green or blue in there if I'm feeling like it! [Laughs.]

There's more fun Q&A's at Entertainment Weekly.

MORE ON SASSIN' BACK

In a New York Post story about the contestants answering the judges back ...

Judge Simon Cowell said: "I think if we talk to them, they're entitled to talk back to us. The only thing is they don't make a lot of sense. And interestingly, the girl who left tonight, Antonella, I remember thinking Wednesday night, 'You've just sealed your fate by answering back again. I gave you a lifeline there, and you just sank yourself.' Sometimes, it's better just to shut up." [Cowell told Antonella: "You've gone as far as you can go, Antonella. The reality is that you're surrounded by some pretty amazing girl singers. But I don't think your voice is going to get any better. I feel for you because you've taken a lot of stick in the media." Barba answered back: "I know I'm surrounded by really talented people, and I think that I have a different style. I just wish the judges wouldn't compare me to everyone else, because I try to be myself."]

Contestant Haley Scarnato said: "As a singer and with so many people watching, you don't want to talk back. You're there to sing. And you're trying to be the next American Idol. So a certain classiness is expected."

Contestant Blake Lewis said: "Sometimes, I want to talk back. I don't want to bite my tongue too much. But you have to be PC on television."

ANTONELLA'S EXIT INTERVIEW EXCERPTS

How was it trying to focus on the competition when the rumor mill was working overtime, putting out pictures of you less than fully clothed? It was very difficult. It was distracting and I tried to block it out and not go on the Internet. When it comes down to it, the pictures are irrelevant to me as an artist. That's my personal life and it was exploited.

Do you know which friends leaked the pictures? I have no way of tracing who it was. It was personal private property that got stolen from my computer. It was not meant for anyone else to see but me.

And the pictures of someone performing a sex act that some claimed were you?Those explicit ones were definitely not me.

On the plus side, you got more publicity than any other contestant. I know you can't talk specifics, but have offers been coming in? I haven't set up any meetings yet, but yeah, there have been offers.

Do you think you'll stay in Los Angeles to pursue them? I'd love to move to L.A. I hope there's an opportunity for me here. I need to see what offers are out there on the table.

If you're thinking about moving to L.A., you're probably thinking about acting or modeling, right? I'd love to do all three, act, model, and sing. I'm definitely willing to sort out the offers I get and figure out what's best for me. I'd love to act, but singing is my ultimate goal.

I'm sure men's magazines will be offering you covers. Would you consider that? I'm definitely willing to look at whatever I'm offered and sort out what feels right to me.

JARED'S EXIT INTERVIEW EXCERPTS

I love how honest you were last night with Ryan about being really shocked that you were the one going home. What else did you expect? I was just shocked. I was not expecting it at all. I really wasn't. The voting was off but what are you going to do?

What do you mean the voting was off? Because of any reason in particular? I think that Simon's comments on Tuesday had a lot to do with what's going on. I don't know what else to say. With Paula saying I need more coloring? It really bothered me. I went on YouTube and checked out my performance again and again. I thought vocally and my stage presence was good. I was critiquing myself as if I was a fan. I have no regrets. I think people really listened to the judges or thought I was safe.

Granted, I often don't understand what Paula means, but what did she mean this specific time by saying you needed more coloring? I don't know if Paula knows what she means sometimes. She just said that maybe I should go lighter in some areas as opposed to just singing the song full all the time. My thing was, I have a minute and a half to wow you. Let me do it all out.

Does it slay you that there's at least one less talented singer than you still in the top 12? For a few nights it'll bother me. I didn't get much sleep last night thinking everything over. Especially because I'm a tall guy, I'm 6'4'' so when Ryan called me up I looked right down at the cue card and I saw what the outcome was. As soon as I saw that I was like, ''WHAT?'' but I couldn't show it. Even seeing it I didn't believe it.

Who consoled you last night? Luckily my parents came out. I was able to hug my mom and listen to my dad tell me everything was going to be okay. Me and Antonella are real close and Sundance was my roommate so we all supported each other. I think with us not getting through we all kind of looked at each other like, ''Something's wrong.'' I really thought I would have gotten further. I didn't even have to win. I just wanted to stay a few more weeks to get my name and my face out there. Hopefully I made enough of an impact to spin something off.

SUNDANCE'S EXIT INTERVIEW EXCERPTS

So you're standing next to Sanjaya and you're thinking no brainer you're going to stay, right? I had no idea I was going to go home. Not even the slightest.

Do you have a sense of what went wrong for you? I don't know exactly what happened. I guess people decided I was safe and automatically in the top 12. I just don't know what happened. I had the most number of votes of all the guys for the two weeks before that though.

Do you wish you hadn't sung ''Jeremy''? No, not at all. I love that song. I did a good job. I have regrets about Simon Cowell saying I was screaming the song. Apparently he never heard the song before. I only regret singing ''Nights in White Satin'' because I had to hold back on it and I'm more of a belter.

Did you have time to process the whole experience after the show? I'm still confused over it. As soon as the show ended I went down to see the American Idol psychiatrist and my wife was there. They told me my second cousin had died in a house fire and was burned to death. At that point I didn't care about American Idol anymore. I was heartbroken.

I'm so sorry, Sundance. Everything happens for a reason. I'm just so confused right now. I need to go home and find myself and figure out what I want to do.

Was the American Idol shrink helpful? It was really helpful. But at that point I didn't want to talk to anyone about anything. I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could. When they told me I was going home I did my thing, sang my song, made a joke. It didn't hit me until I was backstage.

Any ideas of what you want to do next? I just want to do something great in my life. I just want to be remembered for being a guy who was nice to people, always humble, always making friends along the way.

I love that you put it out there that you need a job. Has anyone called? I'm fielding offers. I'd like to do TV. At this point I don't want to go back to a blue-collar job. I don't want to go back to being a supervisor at a machine shop. After going through this whirlwind where you're treated like a celebrity for two months, it's confusing when it gets taken away from you. It's like being a Daytona 500 driver who hit a wall and you have to get out of your car and watch everything go up in flames behind you.

Did you have ideas of which Diana Ross you were going to sing next week? I was going to sing ''Reflections'' and I was going to do a slight punk rock version of it.

SABRINA'S EXIT INTERVIEW EXCERPTS

Sabrina, the look on your face when Ryan announced Haley was staying and you were leaving was one of total shock. Has it set in yet? It's starting to set in after talking about it all day.

You must have thought you were safe, especially considering Simon couldn't remember Haley's name the night before. Haley was my roommate and good friend. We talked about it a lot, what's going to happen. You just never know. I kept saying I was going to go into this week and have fun and enjoy my song and not worry about the Thursday thing. I was really at peace during the day today.

So what went wrong? Part of it maybe was because of the comments the judges said that I would be in the top 12. I didn't think at the time, ''Oh wait. This could backfire.'' You just never know what to expect with the show. I've watched it for five years. I know that's the way it goes.

The judges also seemed disappointed. Did they say anything to you? Absolutely. They all came up to me and their words of support were really encouraging, about how at this point it's no longer about singing and it's about popularity. You can't always count on everyone who wants you to go ahead and vote.

Because it's a popularity vote to an extent, did you think about things like how you wore your hair or what outfit you put on more than you might have otherwise? Absolutely. Especially this week I really tried to take the comments from the second week into consideration. The judges said I didn't come off as young. I tried to return to that. I felt like I looked my best. I felt like I sang strongly. I enjoyed the song. That's the way to go out. If I had been disappointed in my performance I would be more upset today.

Which Diana Ross song were you planning on singing next week? ''You Can't Hurry Love.'' I was already planning it out in my head how I wanted the band to do it. I was thrilled about meeting her. She's an icon. The '60s and '70s are my genre. That's the real disappointing part, not getting to work with all the people coming. Hopefully I'll still get to work with them someday.

Are you pursuing any offers we should know about? I do have some agent meetings. I'm still represented by 19 Management until the show is over so I have some time. I'm going to take a week, go to Santa Barbara, go to a spa, and relax. From there I'll keep writing music and get everything lined up so when the calls do come in I'll be ready.

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© 2007

This and That

IT'S NOT OVER
According to AmericanIdol.com Daughtry has become the #1 top selling album in the country for the second time this year, in an incredible 15-week run that has seen the debut artist, album and single – "It’s Not Over"– shatter so many records that the milestones are becoming too numerous to list. Debuting at #2 on November 21, 2006, the double-platinum album (certified this week by the RIAA) has been in the top 3 of the Billboard Top 200 albums chart for 9 weeks.

"Daughtry" has remained in the Top 10 every week except one since launch, and is the first rock band release in nearly 20 years – since Bon Jovi’s 1988 classic New Jersey– to hit the top spot after debuting below #1 and the first rock band to hit the #1 spot a second time more than 5 weeks after it first topped the chart without debuting there since Santana's "Supernatural" in 2000. The band and album are drawing over one million views per week to their artist site (www.daughtryofficial.com) and remain a Top 10 staple on iTunes since release.

The group's “Home” was chosen as the elimination song this season on "American Idol." This week “Home” moved up from #119 to #62 on the Digital Songs Chart with track sales at 17K, up 81% from the prior week. Other significant uses for the stirring ballad are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

“The tremendous radio and video support, the great crowds we get at our shows, the intensity of our online fans – all of it – is everything any artist could ever ask for,” said Chris Daughtry. “We see all these new faces everyday at our shows, including great, great rock fans who make each performance an adventure ... I want all of our fans to know that every song we play is a thank you right back at each and every one of them for standing by us in such an awesome way.”

And now Chris is giving back something to his fans. Go to his site to find out how to enter Daughtry's "It's Not Over Video Contest". Make a video for the song "It's Not Over" and you could win the grand prize of $3,000, or one of two 1st place prizes of $1,000.

You'll build your video on partner site, Musicbox. Use the online editing tool to drag and drop clips of Daughtry performing the song to the timeline. You can add your own video clips and photos, and drag them around the timeline to create a video sequence you like, then add the complete audio track of "It's Not Over." That's all there is to it. Open to legal permanent residents of the United States 18 years of age or older. No purchase necessary.

SOMEONE THINKS IT'S A LOCK

On his KIIS radio program in Los Angeles, Ryan Seacrest interviewed the four semi-finalists that were eliminated on Thursday. He first spoke with Sundance Head and Sabrina Sloan. Sundance told Ryan that when he heard that he had been eliminated, "I was shocked, I was amazed. I had not prepared myself for that at all ... I was a little angry, I was kind of mad ... I can definitely say my heart was broken. I felt it didn't go the way it should've went." When Seacrest asked Sundance "Is there anybody that thinks they've won this competition, that really believes that they're in already?" Head said, "yes," then added it was a male contestant. When asked if this person actually said that in front of the others, Head said, "Yeah, in ways, yeah" and that he did it "all the time." When Sundance tried to switch the conversation back to himself, Ryan said, "You don't like him," and Sundance answered, "no." Later, when Seacrest interviewed Jared Cotter and Antonella Barba, he told them what Sundance had said and asked Jared who the contestant was. It was obvious Jared knew what he was talking about, but neither he nor Antonella would name the confident male finalist who was, according to Ryan, "creating a little animosity within the group." Guesses? We're thinking Blake Lewis. You can hear Sundance and Sabrina here. And you can listen to Jared and Antonella here.

LYTHGOE ON O'DONNELL

Seacrest also spoke with executive producer Nigel Lythgoe about Rosie Donnell's accusations that "American Idol" is racist and weightist. Addressing the differences between the Frenchie Davis and Antonella Barba cases, Lythgoe said, "It's two totally different cases. Antonella had some personal photographs put on a Web site and Frenchie was actually supplying photographs to a pornographic Web site. They're totally, utterly different."

Speaking about O'Donnell, herself, Lythgoe said, "Once you get in a situation where you can have a view and then put it on television and discuss something, with that comes a responsibility. And that responsibility is you think before you open your mouth.

"And, I'm sorry, if you're going to talk about 'American Idol' being racist that is utterly crazy ... Talent does not recognize color or size. And if you're talking about size, look at our past contestants, Ruben [Studdard]for instance. Randy Jackson, himself. We don't look at size or color of skin on 'American Idol.' LaKisha [Jones], Mandisa [Hundley], you know, these are not small people."

"... And what it does in truth is cloud the true issues of racism, because, you know, if you cry 'wolf' and say this is racist, it just distracts people's attention from true racism that's going on."

When asked, Lythgoe said it had not been his decision to withhold "American Idol" clips from "The View." That decision, he said, was made by Fox. You can hear the entire interview here.

And according to TMZ.com, O'Donnell had this to say in her blog at rosie.com (warning: spellings unchanged):

what can u say really
from the coca-cola red couch
i call it as i see it
nigel l - sam r
same same same
1985 - 2007
blah blah blah blha
blha blha blah blha

O'Donnell appears to equate Nigel Lythgoe with Sam Riddle ("sam r"), the producer of "Star Search," where O'Donnell got her start by winning several weeks in a row.

TAYLOR HELPS AT HOME

KIIS L.A. reports that when reigning American Idol champion Taylor Hicks returned home to Birmingham, Ala., to perform this weekend, he gave back to the community. Hicks partnered with the American Red Cross to raise funds for victims of the violent tornado that struck Enterprise, Ala., on March 2, killing eight students and destroying the local high school.

Hicks, a native of Birmingham, appeared in his hometown at the Alabama Theater on March 10 and 11. Both shows sold out prior to the tragic events of March 2. After the tornado struck, Hicks invited the Red Cross to collect money on site and educate concert-goers on what they can do to help those affected by the tornado. During his Birmingham visit, Hicks will also be presented with the key to the city, which he will dedicate to the victims of the deadly tornado.

"This tragedy affected me very personally," says Hicks. "I know Enterprise, and have friends from there. When I heard the news, I wanted to be able to do something concrete to help all of the folks affected by the tornado. And I wanted to do it sooner rather than later, as these people need our help now."

This is not the first time Hicks has teamed up with the Red Cross. A portion of the proceeds from his first single, "Do I Make You Proud," goes to the charity, a campaign that continues with the sale of every single and paid digital download. "Do I Make You Proud" hit No. 1 on The Billboard Hot 100 and was the magazine's best-selling single of 2006, with over 460,000 sold to date.

Hicks' new single, "Just to Feel That Way," moves up to No. 25 this week on the Adult Contemporary chart this week.

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© 2007