Jermaine Jones
American Idol addressed the controversy surrounding now-former finalist Jermaine Jones one day after news broke that he had been booted for concealing past criminal charges.
Host Ryan Seacrest discussed the incident briefly at the beginning of Wednesday's show, saying producers received information from law enforcement officials "that left us with no choice but to...
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American Idol
As American Idol kicks off its 11th season with auditions Wednesday and Thursday at 8/7c on Fox, can it continue to reign over its rival singing competitions on TV (and all other shows, for that matter)?
Although Simon Cowell's The X Factor crowns its winner in the fall, NBC's The Voice will be nipping at Idol's heels when it premieres its second season on Feb. 5 after the Super Bowl. Charismatic banter among the coaches and those cool, swiveling chairs may bring in some viewers, but the Idol crew isn't sweating it, judging from a...
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American Idol
What other music competition shows?
The American Idol team came out swinging Sunday when reporters at Fox's winter TV preview asked how they felt about the threat of similar formats like The X Factor and NBC's The Voice; the latter which will air during the same time frame as Idol this year.
"Idol is still the best TV show that's come on anywhere," Randy Jackson said. "We're the original.
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Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson
Are Randy Jackson's "dawg" days over?
Along with the addition of Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, the other biggest change to American Idol's judging table has been the toughening up of the last original judge.
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American Idol
Nine years ago, a brutally honest record exec named Simon Cowell was so vicious as a judge on a new musical talent show that a few performers he rudely rejected came after him with baseball bats. Fellow judge Paula Abdul was so put out by his rough treatment of young singers that at one point during the first season, she stormed off the set threatening to quit. The third judge, Randy Jackson, once could be seen standing up angrily behind the judges' table, looking like he was going to clobber Cowell.
Despite that rocky beginning, or perhaps because ...
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American Idol judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson
Tens of millions of viewers or not, American Idol isn't one to let any grass grow under its feet.
Already this season, the Fox juggernaut has introduced a fourth judge (the wonderfully articulate and lucid Kara DioGuardi) and surprised us with a Top 13 (two of whom will get sent packing this Wednesday night).
But the show isn't done with the tweaks. Calling in to Idol host Ryan Seacrest's KISS-FM radio show, exec producer Ken Warwick hinted at a rule change being revealed on this week's results show that will emerge as a "big talking point" once America gets wind of it.
What's the change? Warwick ...
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Clay Aiken was "saved" from obscurity by Idol's Wild Card round, which is now back in play.
American Idol is plumbing its past to bolster its future, in the wake of a seven percent audience decline for the previous cycle.
Among the changes on tap for Season 8, premiering Jan. 13, is the resurrection of two elements from seasons gone by — one of which affects game play, the other offering fun (if not deliciously catty) insight into the semifinalists.
As hinted in recent weeks, Season 8 will ...
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Ken Warwick, Paula Abdul
American Idol executive producer Ken Warwick has responded to Paula Abdul's recent comments and, in turn, the tragedy which recently befell a fan of Abdul's, stressing that he never would knowingly put a dangerous person in front of the judges.
Detailing the process by which wannabes are surveyed as they enter the early audition rounds, Warwick told reporters in a Monday conference call, "It's always been that if someone looked like they were a bit dangerous or led us to believe they weren't as sensible as they should be ...
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David Hernandez courtesy Fox
On the heels of the reveal that Ramiele Malubay has a "racy" pic or two out there, it has come to light that for three years, 24-year-old David Hernandez worked as a stripper at Dick's Cabaret in Glendale, Arizona, where he danced nude and gave lap dances to a mostly male clientele.Might this jeopardize Hernandez's place in the top 16? In previous seasons, Idol execs have avoided establishing hard and fast rules about a contestant's past. (When it was discovered that Frenchie Davis posed topless for a website, she got the boot, but when racy pics of Antonella Barba showed up online, she was allowed to stay.) On Tuesday afternoon, TVGuide.com spoke with Idol executive producer Ken Warwick about the situation:TVGuide.com: Will the revelations about David's stripper past have any impact on whether he stays on the show?Ken Warwick: No, it won't make any difference. The truth is, we're never judgmental about what people do to earn a living. They've got to put food in people's mouths. We'...
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The producers of American Idol will be back on the Fox primetime schedule this fall with a new series that will launch The Search for the Next Great American Band.According to Fox insiders, the new (and tentatively titled) series is American Idol for groups rather than solo performers. The show is expected to be on Fox's new fall schedule to be unveiled on May 16.Like Idol, auditions will be held throughout the country for bands that will compete for a recording contract. After the auditions and the usual scrutiny from a panel of judges (which is not expected to include Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul or Randy Jackson), 10 semi-finalists will perform live in front of a studio audience. Viewers will then vote for the favorites via telephone or text-messaging, with a competitor eliminated each week.Unlike Idol, there will be no age restriction on the performers who enter the competition. The groups will be asked to perform a variety of musical genres during the course of the competition.Fo...
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