The Top 10 on Larry King Live

All Top 10 finalists appeared on Larry King Live. Here's the show, broken down into 6 segments:

Watch video Part 1:



Watch video Part 2:



Watch video Part 3:



Watch video Part 4:



Watch video Part 5:



Watch video Part 6:



TV GUIDE TOP 6 COVER SHOOT VIDEO

So much has been happening Idol-wise the past few weeks, we're trying to catch up on news stories and videos we might have missed. This a video TV Guide took when they photographed the Top 6 Idols for their cover.

Watch video of TV Guide cover shoot of the Top 6 Idols:



SIMON WAS P.O.'D BY MELINDA'S ELIMINATION

Last week before the finale, Simon Cowell talked with "Access Hollywood" about the two finalists and who he's rather produce.

"I think it's interesting," said Cowell, when asked about the finale showdown between Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis. "First of all, we've never had two finalists this young."

That is somewhat of an exaggeration - while Jordin is indeed quite young (17), Blake is 25 -- five years older than America's first "Idol" Kelly Clarkson was at the time of her big win back in 2002 -- but who are we to argue with Simon?

"What you've got is that you've got 'the singer versus the entertainer,'" he continued. "And this is fascinating -- I've never seen this before. They genuinely don't know what the audience is gonna vote for here, because Jordin is the better singer and Blake is the better entertainer."

Although he feels that Jordin is a better singer than Blake, Simon had a unique take on the pair's actual career potential. "I think Blake would be easier to produce because he's more contemporary," said Cowell. "I mean, there are a lot of people out there like Jordin already. I think Blake is an easier artist to focus on."

And while he remarks that Jordin's popularity has grown "suddenly," Simon makes no bones about his extreme disappointment in losing Melinda Doolittle from the competition last week -- a loss that surely disappointed many viewers as well.

"I'm still frustrated I haven't got my girl in there," he confessed to Access, but hinted that he knew what was coming beforehand. "I kind of knew going into the semi's that she wasn't gonna make the final, because I know that we have a lot of people who vote who are younger ... they dial and dial and dial. The older voters were voting for Melinda. So I didn't think she was gonna make it, but I absolutely said I was going to give this girl every chance I could -- because based on consistency, based on talent, she should have been on the finale."

"I was really mad," said Simon of last week's elimination, in which he was seen holding his hands over his face when it was announced Melinda would be leaving. "I just felt really, really down because I felt that someone who'd worked that hard for 10 or 11 weeks absolutely deserves an opportunity to showcase herself in the finale...I didn't know what to say at the end. Because she did everything she should've done, other than she perhaps wasn't young enough or had the personality to get those vital younger votes."

Despite his frustration at seeing her go, Simon knows that Melinda will be "fine" with her career. Besides, he's got the other two finalists to focus on this week -- and then it starts all over for him next year.

"I'm doing three more [seasons] and that's it," revealed Simon. "That will be 10 seasons at the end of that." (editor's note: it seems that Cowell misspoke, as it will actually be nine seasons at that point rather than 10)

Even if he's asked to do more seasons than that, Simon would rather quit while he's still ahead of the game. "I think people are gonna get tired of me, if they are not already," he remarked. "Certainly after 10 seasons they will. And I've had a great time and I'm very thankful, but that will be it."

Watch entire video of "Access Hollywood" interview with Simon Cowell. There are some interesting personal revelations.

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© 2007

Princess P.(O.'d)

Looks like another former Idol finalist is unhappy about the show these days. Surprisingly, it's none other than lovable Season 5 finalist Paris Bennett. Last season's petite powerhouse phoned into the "Tone E Fly Morning Show" in Minneapolis and called "Idol" "a joke," and said she and a few other contestants are going along with VotefortheWorst.com and voting for Sanjaya Malakar to screw with the results in the hopes that it'll take down America's most popular TV show.

You can listen to the audio here.

Here's a transcript of the interview:

Announcer: Former American Idol contestant Paris Bennett on the Ton E. Fly morning show. Paris: Hi guys!
Announcer: What's goin' on Paris?
Paris: Not a much, just hanging out.
Announcer: This whole Sanjaya phenomenon what do you think of that?
Paris: I think it’s very, very funny.
Announcer: Now, these guys are all mad at me because I'm voting for Sanjaya, because he can’t sing and because I think it's funny.
Paris: I've been voting for him, too.
Announcer: Oh, you've been voting also?
Paris: Yeah, vote for the worst ... thing?
Announcer: Oh, so you went to votefortheworst.com? You've seen all that stuff?
Paris: Oh, of course, we had that there last season, so we were doing that, too.
Announcer: It is wonderful to hear that former idols are actually voting for Sanjaya. That’s wonderful!
Paris: Yeah, it's a few us, umm, it's a few of us from last season that are voting.
Announcer: Is Sanjaya a big joke to you, or do you want to see him win because he’s talented?
Paris: No, we want to see him win because it'll kinda prove that "American Idol" is kinda losing its taste and that it kinda isn't going for talent anymore, more so popularity. So we think it's a joke and we're voting because it's funny. (Paris giggles)
Announcer: All right, so you're, it's kinda of an anti-"American idol" movement thing going on?
Paris: A little bit, I mean, 'cause, c'mon, like from the beginning Sanjaya has been kinda of stale, so the only time that's he's actually really been good was actually Jennifer Lopez week, this week.
Announcer: So even though, it kinda, I mean, it kinda put me, here in the Twin Cities you were already known, and everyone knew Princess P and you were at all the events and everything. But American Idol kinda put you on the national map. Even though it helped you with your career, you think its time is over?
Paris: I think that definitely, now having Sanjaya on it, it kinda reminded me of, um, do you ever remember the movie "American Dreamz" that came out last year?
Announcer: Yes.
Paris: OK, remember how there was the Indian guy or the guy from India [Er, actually, Paris, he was Arab. That was one of the main points of the movie: That the Arab contestant was supposedly a terrorist who was going to assassinate the U.S. President when he made a guest appearance on the show], and then it was Mandy Moore? That’s kinda what the competition seems like right now.
Announcer: Paris, I appreciate you calling in, because it's my favorite show on television, for whatever reason, I think the stuff with Sanjaya is a lot of fun.
Paris: I do, too.
Announcer: I think if it does ruin the show, then so be it, then America has spoken! And it ruins the show!
Paris: They're voting so ...
Announcer: Exactly … And people, people have called up here and complained, (mimicking caller complaints) "Oh, I'm so mad about Sanjaya look at this ... You know what's goin' to cancel the show?"
Paris, indifferently: Well that’s all good! At least they're keepin' B96, and Sanjaya is still on "American Idol," it'll still continue to be funny.

SEACREST HOSTS KING

CNN is getting ready to fete Larry King’s 50 years in broadcasting during its "King-sized Week" from April 16-20. A highlight of the week is "CNN Presents: Larry King – 50 Years of Pop Culture," Wednesday at 9 p.m. (competing with Idol's results' show), a two-hour documentary co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Anderson Cooper, focusing on the last 50 years of pop culture as seen through King's eyes, including his early days in Miami covering local celebrities and hurricanes to his national radio show broadcast from Washington, D.C., to his pioneering cable television move to CNN. The show features interviews with Randy Jackson, Denise Brown, Dolly Parton, Joan Rivers, Whoopi Goldberg and Don Shula, among others.

Randy Jackson dishes on Britney Spears in the special: "I think any successful star that's an icon like her that is a name in the public is one hit away from being back." The shoew repeats of Sat. and Sun., April 21 and 22 at 8 p.m.

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© 2007