Idol Voting System Faces a Sex-Rated Problem
Ryan Seacrest
Unless American Idol producers come up with a quick fix, viewers calling in to cast their vote Tuesday night run the risk of getting a racy earful — and we don't mean of a Beyoncé cover.
As has served them fine in the past, Idol has locked up a dozen extensions of the toll-free number 1-866-IDOLS — namely, suffixes 01 through 12.
But because this season features a Top 13 versus 12, Idol will need an extra number to call into. Problem is, 1-866-IDOLS-13 (as well as 1-866-IDOLS-00) directs the caller to a phone-sex service. And based on the prerecorded come-on, significantly more than standard messages rates apply, Ryan.
Unless Idol figures out a solution and gets the word out — and fast and loud — callers to 1-866-IDOLS-13 will be invited to spend $1.99 to $3.99 per minute to get "nasty talk" with "real local students, housewives and working girls from all over the country." And worse, they might not be able to cast their vote for Jorge's eyebrows.
Will Idol scramble to buy out the XXX-rated suffixes from teleservice provider Intimate Encounters, Inc.? Or will the show's producers toss aside their long-standing digits and scrape together 13 other numbers to dial? The Idol publicity team has yet to respond to TVGuide.com's request for comment.
