Idol Bounces 'Ineligible' Pacitti

DeGeneres talks Cowell, Paula Abdul as American Idol returns

(NEWSER) - Ellen DeGeneres makes her debut as the newest American Idol judge on Tuesday, and she talks Simon Cowell (he’s “smart,” but “mean” and “insensitive”) and more with the Wall Street Journal :

• Paula Abdul: “I don't know if I'll be as nurturing as she is. I'll probably try to be somewhat encouraging. But I'll be honest. I don't think it helps anybody to be encouraged and not told the truth.”

(NEWSER) - Tight-lipped Simon Cowell doesn’t want to “get in the middle” of execs and departed American Idol judge Paula Abdul, he tells Extra, but he does say things are “different” without her. “I miss her, of course,” he says. Asked how the new lineup compares to the old, Cowell is characteristically blunt. “It's like comparing a carrot to a banana,” he says. “They are different.” 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.

Singer may leave show before new season starts, sources say

(NEWSER) - American Idol may not have Paula Abdul to kick around anymore, reports MSNBC's Scoop blog. Abdul, who seems perpetually ticked off at Simon Cowell and the show’s producers, doesn’t need them, anyway, says a friend: “Paula has a reality show on MTV and her jewelry line.” An Idol source says the show is preparing for her imminent departure: “Obviously we have three other judges who can carry the show." More»

Voting on Cook's rock vs. Archuleta's ballads hours away from being revealed

(NEWSER) - We're only hours away from Fox crowning either balladeer (and Simon Cowell fave) David Archuleta, 17, or rocker David Cook, 25, as this season's American Idol. Cook seemed to win last night's live audience, the Kansas City Star reports. More»