Newest 'Idol': David Cook

If Simon Cowell has his way; he wants her as 'X Factor' judge

(NEWSER) - Who could possibly take the place of Paula Abdul on X Factor ? If Simon Cowell has his way, it will be Beyoncé—and he's offering her a cool $100 million per season (total contract: $500 million) to do it, according to Media Take Out . If she accepts the full-time judge job, she'll be the highest-paid person on TV, reports the New York Post , which notes that the idea isn't totally out-there: Beyoncé would reportedly prefer not to go on tour for the first few years of Blue Ivy's life, meaning this gig could ensure the world doesn't forget about her. More»

Producer says he's got a better voice than Mitt Romney

(NEWSER) - If the whole presidency thing doesn't work out for Barack Obama, he could have a future in show business. American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe was duly impressed with the president's brief rendition of "Let's Stay Together," he said yesterday, in a tweet spotted by Politico . "@BarackObama we loved your vocal performance so much we'd love to invite you on to #AmericanIdol this Season for a duet with Al Green." More»

Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger, Steve Jones all get the boot

(NEWSER) - It was a "bloodbath" at X Factor yesterday, Nikki Finke writes at Deadline , with host Steve Jones and judges Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul all getting the ax. Apparently Simon Cowell himself made the decision to clean house, according to the Hollywood Reporter . Cowell and LA Reid are the only two judges who will return for the second season of the reality competition, which has garnered not-great ratings. Insiders tell the Reporter Abdul was seen as "irrelevant to the mix," and add that Cowell wants bigger celebrities on the panel. More»

Shockingly, no, whale sperm does not make the ocean salty

(NEWSER) - If you’re getting your science education from celebrities, you may have a problem—but even so, the Sense About Science charity wants to set some things straight. The group has released a list of celebrities doling out “bad science” this year, the Telegraph reports. It includes:

• Simon Cowell: The onetime American Idol judge said that taking vitamins C, B12, and magnesium intravenously makes him feel and look younger. A dietitian, however, says Cowell probably isn’t getting much benefit from the regimen, and that most people get all the vitamins they need from food—unless one has a specific vitamin deficiency.

And, yes, it includes Kardashians

(NEWSER) - We could have picked a few other choice adjectives for the Kardashians, but for Barbara Walters, they're some of the most fascinating people of the year. Joining them for Walters' The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2011 special: Modern Family stars Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet (aka Mitch and Cam), Simon Cowell, Derek Jeter, Donald Trump, Katy Perry, and Pippa Middleton. If you want to find out who claimed the top spot, of course, you'll have to tune in to ABC on Dec. 14, USA Today reports. Click for today's other big Kardashian news . More»