We have been moving around the world wide web today and noticed that there is a lot of buzz around this American Idol auditionee, David Archuleta.

David hit our screens last night when American Idol aired on ITV2, and was just one of those people who just immediately plucks on the heart strings!
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Capitol Music Group recording artist Ferras (pronounced Fer-AHSS) has been chosen to have “Hollywood’s Not America,” the lead single from his debut album, Aliens and Rainbows, used as the ‘goodbye song’ on the February 12th and 13th episodes of American Idol. He will also perform the song live on the Today Show on the morning of February 12th.

The song “Hollywood’s Not America” is a bittersweet anthem that will serve to remind the young and talented Idol hopefuls that leaving Idol will not be the end of the road for them. According to Ferras, his album Alien’s and Rainbows “is about that other place where you go in your mind, when you just want to escape – when the world lets you down, when you feel misunderstood. It is a place for dreamers and misfits and outsiders.” Read more & comment »

Former American idol contestant, Katherine McPhee has gotten married this weekend to 42 year old producer Nick Cokas.

People magazine reported that the singer’s representative confirmed the couple had married in a Presbyterian Church in Beverly Hills on Saturday afternoon.

Katherine met Nick in 2005 when they performed together in a Los Angeles production of ‘The Ghost and Mrs Muir’. Read more & comment »

American Idol kicks off on ITV2 tonight….have a look at Alexis Cohen’s audition to get you in the mood. Do you think the judges made the right decision? Leave your comments below.

Another sneak peek at the new series of American Idol, due to kick off on ITV2 tomorrow night at 8PM.

I quite like Milo…..maybe they should let older people audition. Though in fairness it doesn’t really work on the X Factor.

I don’t know about you, but if I was American Idol judge Paula Abdul I would be very, very scared!

American Idol launches this week on ITV2….don’t miss it!

Simon Cowell looks like he is getting ready to step away from the show which has made him a household name all over the world.

In an interview, published today on movieweb.com, Simon was asked if he had any plans for future on American idol and his response was:

Well, nothing is going to last forever. I think the exit point to a point is determined by the public who eventually are going to get sick to death of me, if they haven’t already. I’d always, in my mind, kind of thought I would go up until the end of my contract, which would mean two more seasons after this one, which would have made it nine in total and nine years is probably enough to inflict on anyone. So that’s what I sort of have in my mind. Can the show exist without me? Absolutely. It’ll probably get better.

American Idol kicks off tonight at 8PM on ITV2. This clip below shows the truly awful James Lewis who claims that he was encouraged to enter the competition by his friends and co workers….they should all be shot. How can they call themselves friends?

Hit US show American Idol kicks off for its seventh series tonight with the first audition show filmed in San Diego, California. Thousands have turned up hoping to impress judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson, but only a handful will get through to the next round in Hollywood. Ryan Seacrest hosts the show and interviews the successes and failures of the auditions.

For all the latest on the show and the auditionees, click here.

Thursday 17 January 2008 8:00pm - 9:00pm on ITV2.

There’s never been a worse time for reality TV flagship shows than right now. Ask the producers of American Idol, X Factor and Big Brother. Talent is seemingly thin on the ground, the formats themselves seem strained and audiences are in decline.

The American entertainment websites will tell you that American Idol is onto a surefire winner this year - they’ve basically got a captive audience due to the Hollywood writer’s strike. But that’s no reason to become complacent, and the Idol production team know it.

Season six of American Idol featured some of the weakest talent the competition has known to date. Backed up by the fact that neither the winner - Jordin Sparks - or the runner-up Blake Lewis managed to score a number one with their respective debut singles.

Is it a coincidence that the two top talent shows of 2007 were a complete washout? I already passed my judgement on 2007’s X Factor, but Lisa and I really expected so much more from American Idol. After all, surely larger population = larger chance of talented individuals getting through? Apparently not.

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Simon Cowell has revealed that he finds the early audition stages of the American Idol show torturous, and is still shocked by the amount of people who really believe that they can sing.

He stated: “It is becoming increasingly like torture, but you have to give most of the people who come in at least three or four minutes, but it has gotten harder over the years.

“What’s amazing, even after seven seasons, and we’ve had some shockingly bad people this year, is how much they still believe that they’re right and I’m wrong and they got more argumentative with me this year. All I’m trying to do is help them.” Read more & comment »

Simon Cowell has admitted that American Idol “must do better” when it comes to finding an artist who can survive for more than one album.

When asked about the fact that past AI contestants Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee and Ruben Studdard have all now been dropped by their record labels Cowell commented:

“It’s a reflection on the unpredictability of the record business. Fortunately, we got it right more than we got it wrong,” Cowell explained. “There’s no scientific way to explain what happens. It’s a reality show and what happens at the end is also reality.”

Simon also admitted to feeling disappointed when last years AI winner, Jordin Sparks and runner-up Blake Lewis failed to achieve the number one spot with their singles. Read more & comment »

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I love American Idol. The people are way more talented than the dweebs we get on UK’s X Factor and the show just seems so much more interesting.

I just came across a great interview with Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer of the show, and he has revealed that big changes are in store for the next American Idol series, due to kick off in January.

Some of the changes the bosses are considering implementing are:

* changing the format to let singers show other musical talents, such as guitar playing.

* fewer celebrity “mentors,” like Diana Ross and Tony Bennett, who appeared every week last season and took attention away from the contestants.

* combining the annual “Idol” live tour with the “So You Think You Can Dance” tour - to create a show with both singing and dancing.

I think that fans of this show format, whether it be X Factor or American Idol, will be highly appreciative of the first two changes. It would be nice to get a picture of how talented a person really is, rather than being subjected to them singing cheesy covers week after week.

Also the weekly brown nosing of celebrities like Tony Bennett, who no one under 60 really gives a hoot about, was getting too nauseating for my liking. I think Nigel Lythgoe is onto a good one here, I just hope that these ideas make it as far as the live show and aren’t vetoed by Mr ‘big man’ Cowell.

Counrty singer Dolly Parton has reportedly turned down an offer to become one of the judges on American Idol.

Dolly Parton is convinced she wouldn’t be suited to the role, as she would be too nice to contestants, and wouldn’t want to tell them that they “suck.”

She has however agreed to have a night themed in her honour and to spend some time backstage with the finalists helping them learn her songs.

She said: Read more & comment »

Simon Cowell has told British newspapers that he would welcome fading pop star, Britney Spears onto American Idol, but only as a contestant.

Spears was supposed to perform on a previous series of the show but dropped out after Cowell insisted she perform live.

Simon told the Daily Star: “Sure, she can come on American Idol - as a contestant. Although if it’s anything like her disastrous return at the MTV Video Music Awards, I wouldn’t put her through to the second round. Read more & comment »