Judge DioGuardi Is Just What Idol Needs

The true reality show is at the judges' table, after all

(NEWSER) - Paula Abdul “walked away from a multimillion-dollar salary, a gig that brought her out of obscurity”—but it’s American Idol that will smart the most from her departure, writes Jeanne McManus for the Washington Post. “She generally contributed absolutely nothing to the verdict of the talent that stood before her,” but she will be missed at “that dysfunctional, squabbling dinner table known as the panel of judges.” More»

List of 36 contestants revealed, some never seen in auditions

(NEWSER) - Warning to American Idol fans: If you don’t like spoilers, be careful what you search for. A list of the contestants who will perform on the new season has been leaked by fan sites, the New York Post reports. The list includes some surprise contestants whose auditions weren’t shown on TV. Among the lucky 36:

• Joanna Pacitti, once on a major label.
• Scott MacIntyre, 23, blind since birth, who attended Arizona State at age 14.

Idol 's new fourth judge 'feisty, heartfelt, and outspoken'

(NEWSER) - Simon Cowell, beware: Your new sparring partner arrives this week on American Idol. “If he doesn’t let me speak, it’s going to be a problem,” Kara DioGuardi, a songwriter and Idol’s fourth judge, tells the New York Times. “I’m not going into this thinking everyone’s going to love me,” she said. “But they can’t take away what I’ve done.” More»

Songwriter Kara DioGuardi to join Cowell and company

(NEWSER) - American Idol is getting a fourth judge this season, marking what the New York Post calls the biggest change TV’s top show has ever undergone. Songwriter Kara DioGuardi will join Simon, Paula, and Randy, in a move producers say they always intended. All of Idol’s international counterparts feature four judges. “Having a fourth judge creates a dynamic that benefits both the contestants and viewers,” said the executive producer. More»

(NEWSER) - Susan Boyle, Britain’s Got Talent contestant and Internet sensation, has been the subject of one hot debate: Makeover or no makeover? The makeover process has already begun, Deadline reports—Boyle appeared recently in a trendy dress and leather jacket. “It wasn’t until I saw myself on TV that I realized how frumpy I was,” says Boyle, who also visited a hairdresser for advice. Elsewhere: More»