David Hernandez performing on American Idol by Ray Mickshaw/WireImage.com
Idol's latest castoff David Hernandez believes it was his song choice and not his past as a stripper in a gay club that cost him his spot in the top 12. Hernandez said his elimination was "based on song selection" and added, "I think America's smart enough to know by now that people's personal lives should not influence their musical career." Even though the judges didn't like his performance of "I Saw Her Standing There," which most likely had a large hand in David H. getting the boot, he defended his performance, saying, "I was very happy with my stage presence."When asked about the media attention he received during his stripper scandal, Hernandez said his fellow contestants encouraged him to stay away from TV and the Internet. He added, "The media can be vicious sometimes." However, the singer says that adversity is his best friend and, "If this is the worst thing that comes out of my career, then I'm pretty set to go."Do you think David H.'s song choice was the reason he got th...
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David Archuleta performing on American Idol by Ray Mickshaw/WireImage.com
As if the poor kid doesn’t have enough pressure on him what with his early emergence as a front-runner, now it seems that David Archuleta's father may have been behind his shaky and uncharacteristically lackluster performance on Tuesday night. Apparently, like many kids in showbiz, David has quite the stage dad. According to ET Online, Jeff Archuleta yelled at his son during a recording session leading up to the performance show. Furthermore, "Dad wasn't happy with his singing — and even brought him to tears." You'd think the problem in a competition like this would be the contestants trying to psych each other out. But having your dad mess with your head? Not cool. Apparently, this isn't the first time Papa Archie got his pants in a knot. There are reports that he was banned from the set of Star Search when David appeared on the show, for allegedly intimidating his then-12-year-old son. Yikes. Secretly, I kind of want to put him and Simon in a room together and let the f...
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Brooke White on American Idol by Frank Micelotta/Fox
The following contains a spoiler about Wednesday night's results show.This week on Idol, the game changed. What was (sadly) shaping up to be a predictable Season 7 turned in new and exciting directions, as Chikezie reversed his downward spiral, middle-of-the-packers like Jason and David Cook showed us something new, and David A... well, he proved himself to be a mere mortal. The ladies didn't get shaken up as much, though Syesha is in dire need of her own turnaround tune, while Amanda and Brooke could still benefit from breaking out of their respective boxes.At the end of the day (meaning, Wednesday night), Idol's top 12 was stripped of David Hernandez, who on Tuesday proved to be just OK — which we kind of always knew.Now that we're down to 11, who is your current pick to win? Vote here, and on Monday we'll see how the Power Rankings got shaken up!Related:• American Idol Power Rankings: The Top 12
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What a night! While Chikezie came out of left field and completely rocked the house, the (almost) infallible child prodigy of the bunch, David Archuleta crashed and burned (and it wasn’t pretty to watch). Right off the bat, David A. forgot a portion of his lyrics to the Beatles’ hit “We Can Work It Out,” and it was all down hill from there. We’re fairly confident he’ll make it to next round but our question is, "Will he be able to bounce back and reclaim his former glory?" Related video links• David Hernadez’s Pre-Idol Foursome?• Kristy Lee Cook Dabbled in Seductive Commercials?• Watch Idol clips using our Online Video Guide.
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Nikki McKibbin by Mark Sullivan/ WireImage.com
Former American Idol contestant Nikki McKibbin's back, and she's opening up about her rumored suicide attempt and trying to set the record straight. In an interview with TV's Extra, McKibbin says, "I was hospitalized, but not because I tried to kill myself."McKibbin, who went in for medical treatment Feb. 21, asserts that her hospitalization was due to an allergic reaction to pain medication that resulted in the arrival of police and paramedics at her home. "The police officers handcuffed me, stuck me in the back of a squad car," she says. "It was traumatic." There was some speculation that McKibbin's ordeal stemmed from trauma over her mother's death last August, from which the single mom suffered a breakdown. Responding to reports that McKibbin had claimed she "wanted to be with her mom in heaven" at the time of her hospitalization, she says, "Honestly, I've said it before so I am not saying I didn't. But I don't remember. Honestly, I just don't remember."The singer, who came in ...
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Sanjaya Malakar by Charley Gallay/ WireImage.com
So this is where Sanjaya has been hanging out lately.... He's been performing at black-tie rites of passages (for a pretty penny, we're sure) for screaming teenage girls? Take away the rite of passage, and I guess it feels just like he's still on American Idol. Well, Sanjaya isn't on Idol anymore, but he's still capitalizing on the fame he received from his top-10 stint on the show. Not only did he perform at a fancy, black-tie, 300-guest bat mitzvah in Huntington, New York, but he also scored a gig TV Guide Network hosting Idol: Where Are They Now?So what did the former Idol croon for his lucky audience and the guest of honor, Rachel Lader? He started with Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" while the 12-year-old girl and her father shared their first dance. And, of course, the night wouldn't have been completely Sanjaya-fied if he hadn't sung The Kinks' "You Really Got Me," which he performed twice on Idol before being eliminated. That little girl must have had the time of her very...
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Now it's getting a bit more interesting, and a lot more serious — American Idol's final 12. As the party got started Thursday night, TVGuide.com began polling you on your current pick to win this whole enchilada. Here's how it netted out:40.4% David Archuleta13.0% Jason Castro11.2% David Cook 8.8% Michael Johns 8.5% Brooke White6.6% Carly Smithson3.3% David Hernandez 2.8% Kristy Lee Cook2.4% Ramiele Malubay1.7% Amanda Overmyer1.0% Syesha Mercado 0.2% ChikezieLook at Archie's lead. Is it really so unclose a race? I think that one has to ask: Has the boy wonder peaked too soon?Speaking of boy wonders, a girl doesn't show up in the rankings until the No. 5 slot. Is that speaking to male dominance or a weak Season 7 female field?Who's out next? This is Chikezie's second straight week of finishing dead last. Has time run out for the lad?What's your take on these latest results?Lots more Idol coverage:• Rosie Makes "Bold, Brave, Beautiful" Danny an Offer• Asia'h, Kady, Lu...
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In a video blog segment posted Friday, Rosie O'Donnell invited freshly ousted American Idol contestant Danny Noriega to sing on her cruise. "I don't know if you have to sit around the American Idol studio and, like, look sad for the next few weeks," says the comedienne, "but a week from tomorrow, an R Family Cruise is leaving from San Diego for Cabo San Luco." (A voice behind her then said that it's going to Puerto Vallarta, but whatever.) "So, Danny Noriega," Ro continued, "you've got a free cruise. You and a friend. I want you to sing 'Tainted Love,' and I think you're fantastic. I think you're a bold and brave and beautiful young man. I admire you, Danny Noriega, and you have an amazing voice.... So why don't you come on the cruise?"Cyndi Lauper, among other artists, will apparently also be onboard, and O'Donnell promised a duet op with the returning pop star — and maybe even a trio, with Rosie herself joining in. So, Danny: Are you going to go for it? If you want some compa...
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Danny Noriega and Kady Malloy by Frank Micelotta/Fox
They came close, but received no cigar. TV Guide caught up the four American Idol hopefuls that didn't make the Top 12. Read on to see who believes she may have won by losing, who plans to make like a male Tyra Banks, and who finds Simon's nastiness rather unnecessary. — Carita RizzoAsia'h Epperson"On Wednesday, when they said, 'You're [singing] first,' I called my mom and said, 'I think this is going to be the last time I'm performing.' Knowing the strategy that goes into it — and it's 100 percent strategy — I figured that it was just too much, too quick. If I'm in the audience, [a performance of Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody"] is just hitting you over the head. But everything happens for a reason, and clearly God just has a bigger and better plan for me. I believe this was a great stepping stone for me, this is what I needed, and that's it."Kady Malloy"Let me put it this way — it's a TV show. It's hard [to take criticism] in front of so many p...
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Finalists David and Kristy Lee Cook by Kevin Winter/Fox
As the sun set Thursday on Los Angeles, it left behind a streaky pink sky... and only 12 wannabe Idols remaining. While the contestants heard the vote counts and left the stage, TV Guide's Top 12 party was getting under way at a rooftop venue. Inside the event, cameras queued up, lights were bright, and publicists, crew members and press buzzed about, eyeing congratulatory cupcakes adorned with each singer's photo.Suddenly, the contestants burst into the room, cameras started snapping and the party had officially begun. The mood was exuberant, the energy electric. TVGuide.com was there to congratulate the contestants, find out what they loved best and feared most about the show — plus, of course, share some laughs and cake with the new top dogs of the season.I caught up with a few of them between their on-camera time and photo sessions, plus I got some observations from the party pros on how this group handled the new, and very bright, spotlight. On the "Fear Factor":For Kristy...
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