The Dishing Diva

American Idol judge Ellen DeGeneres is looking back over her first year on the hit reality show – and has vowed to be more mean next year.

The chatshow host joined the Idol panel of judges after Paula Abdul quit, but Ellen came under fire early on in the season from critics saying she was ‘too soft’ on the contestants.

So now with Simon Cowell also quitting the show, Ellen has vowed to be a ‘little harder’ on the wannabe singers.

She told USA Today: “Your first year anywhere is going to be tough, because you’re trying to figure out what your role is.

“I think next year my role will be to be exactly who I am, sometimes funny and sometimes serious, and I think I’ll probably learn to be a little harder on people without being rude.

“But I think it was a fine line for me to walk this year.

“It’s always been Simon’s show. There’s a whole dynamic there. You want to be respectful, and it was his last year, and so a lot was going on that needed to happen.

“I think next year will be a different year. No one can replace Simon, just like I wasn’t replacing Paula.”

Source: Splash News

American Idol Lee DeWyze, 2nd song on Top 3, “Hallelujah”,

Lee Dewyze Hallelujah Video:

It looks like the American Idol judge didn’t like seeing herself in high-definition on the show because it supposedly brings out those dreaded age lines. Ironically, she probably frowned when discovering this. So Ellen DeGeneres decided to fix the problem immediately. This was her solution, as a source revealed: “So she proceeded to order her own lighting team from her show to come over and make her look better. She had her people add lights and filters to ease her age lines.” Hopefully Ellen DeGeneres won’t feel too distraught because of this and she will still do a good job to foil Simon Cowell’s plans on the show… after all, she is the poor contestant’s only line of defense.

Sources very close to Paula Abdul are saying that the beloved judge from American Idol is working to find her way back to the reality TV talent show. The insider says to not count Paula out just yet as she is reportedly already in talks about having her return and trying to come to a deal that makes sense. They are insisting though that her departure from the show wasn’t a publicity stunt but it was definitely a negotiating tactic. With Victoria Beckham’s guest judging at the Denver auditions being a dud, they’re better off with paying Paula what she wants than losing more money over other loser judges.

The 200lb woman arrested for choking British TV host Terri Seymour has been ordered to attend anger management classes.

Janice Thibodeaux, who attacked Simon Cowell’s ex-girlfriend at the finale of American Idol, pleaded guilty to battery in a Los Angeles courtroom on Thursday.

The former security guard, 33, reportedly targeted with the slightly-built ex-model because she was upset at seeing Simon jokingly choking fellow judge Paula Abdul during the show. Thibodeaux was placed on 36 months’ probation and ordered to adhere to a restraining order filed against her by Seymour.

She must also attend anger management classes, undergo 36 hours of psychological treatment, and perform 20 hours of community service.

Thibodeaux will next appear in court on July 16 to hear the results of psychological tests.

Following the disturbing attack, X-Factor supremo Cowell ordered bodyguards to protect his 35-year-old former love.

In the application for a restraining order, made at LA’s County Superior Court, a shaken Terri said Thibodeaux had "put her in a headlock, wrenched her neck and choked her with the full force of her 200lb frame".

Paula Abdul has denied battling an addiction to painkillers.

The American Idol judge was recently quoted in Ladies’ Home Journal as saying that she “wanted to kill” herself over the 12-year addiction.

The magazine also quoted Abdul as saying that she kicked the pills during a stay at a luxurious spa in California last November.

Now Abdul is claiming that the magazine misquoted her.

“It was very stressful for me to hear that and be quoted saying something I never said,” Abdul told Detroit’s Mojo In The Morning radio show.

“I’ve never checked into a rehab clinic. I’ve never been addicted to or abused drugs, and I’ve never been addicted to or abused alcohol.”

Abdul confirmed that she had been to the health spa “having fun, doing spa stuff”.

The magazine says it stands by its story “100 per cent”.

Source: Splash News

Another American Idol contestant has a new record deal!

Last year’s 4th placed winner Jason Castro, has signed on with Atlantic Records. He’s due to release his debut album later this year.

Castro reached #1 on iTunes last spring with his cover of Over The Rainbow after performing the tune on Idol’s stage.

The album will feature songs written by current AI judge Kara DioGuardi and Grammy award-winning songwriter John Fields as well as several other song writers in the industry.

Congratulations. I love that he is working with such talented writers and producers, and look forward to hearing the collaborative efforts of his new team.

Here is a clip from one of his past performances:

Kelly Clarkson is on the cover of the April 2009 issue of Blender magazine. My question to the magazine is “why would a magazine ask such dumb questions?” I’ll have to check out the issue to make sure they talked about her album while they were discussing her urinary habits and nudity.

Interestingly enough, she didn’t seem to be offended at all by these questions. That is what makes her so …. oddly normal!

Here are some tidbits from the interview:

On peeing in the shower:

“Anybody who says they don’t is lying.”

On taking pleasure in walking around naked:

“I’m the kinda person who just doesn’t like clothes.”

On blowing her nose and then checking the tissue to see what color the snot is:

“I mean, if you have a cold, you have to check, to see how sick you are.”

On the essence of her appeal:

“The thing with me, and my audience in particular is, people look at me like a sister or a daughter. It’s not like people look at me as unattainable, some kind of star like that. People love the ‘real’ factor that’s involved, I think.”

On being an open book and willing to “talk about anything”:

“I do not lie. Ever. I will tell my girlfriend if she looks fat in her jeans… When you don’t make yourself clear or heard, that’s where trouble starts. And that’s something I learned as a child. No one is going to know what you feel unless you tell them.”

Former American Idol contestant Sanjaya Malaker has written a memoir called, Dancing To The Music In My Head: Memoirs Of the People’s Idol. He also plans to release some new music.

Interesting that he thinks of himself as “The People’s Idol”. That was how Princess Diana was fondly remembered by the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair at the time of her death. He coined the now famous label of her when he said she was the people’s princess.

The memoir takes the reader on a journey of Sanjaya’s life from his “pre-fame days to his rise through the reality competition to life after Idol.”

His book will be in bookstores by the end of the month.

Here is a little clip of Sanjaya from his AI glory days!

Kelly Clarkson has shed some pounds (but not all of them)… she is looking way better than she did a year ago!

The original American Idol is actually working on her fourth album. After her last album disaster she has many collaborators including Sam Watters, Louis Biancaniello and Ryan Tedder (OneRepublic). I a surprised she didn’t get Timbaland… to help her out. I guess his fame is slowly fizzling. He has produced a lot of songs but only a slim few made it. (Nelly, JT, Onerepublic, Kerri Hilson)…