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| BRITNEY SPEARS TO TAKE CIRCUS ON THE ROAD Blog |
The Circus is coming to town!
After a five-year hiatus from touring, Britney Spears is going back on the road with a 27-city North American tour that will begin in March, the singer announced on Tuesday's edition of Good Morning America, where she also celebrated her 27th birthday .
The singer – whose sixth studio album, Circus, was also released Tuesday – will kick off The Circus Starring Britney Spears 2009 Tour in New Orleans on March 3, with guests the Pussycat Dolls.
After wrapping the North American leg in Chicago on April 28, she'll also play London on June 3 and 4.
Tickets go on sale Saturday, Dec. 6. For a complete list of tour dates and ticket information, click here.
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| BRITNEY SPEARS CELEBRATES 27TH BIRTHDAY UNDER THE BIG TOP Blog |
Britney Spears celebrated her 27th birthday Tuesday under the Big Top and before the TV cameras of Good Morning America.
Dressed as a ringmaster, Spears made her entrance atop a circus wagon – accompanied by clowns, jugglers and performers dressed as circus animals.
The appearance, inside the Big Apple Circus tent within New York's Lincoln Center, also marked the launch of Spears's sixth studio album, Circus – her first CD since her 2007 comeback step, Blackout. Mother and Sons AttendAs Spears announces on the title track (and delivered on GMA), "There are only two types of people in the world, the ones that entertain and the ones that observe." GMA's Robin Roberts called Spear's appearance "our concert event of the year."
Claimed cohost Diane Sawyer about those gathered inside the circus tent, "There are about a gazillion people [here]."
Among them: the pop star's mother, Lynne Spears, and Britney's two young sons, Preston and Jayden.
Interspersed with the promos for Spears's performance during Tuesday's GMA were birthday greetings from the likes of Reese Witherspoon, John Travolta, Teri Hatcher and PEOPLE's newly named Sexiest Man Alive, Hugh Jackman – who sang "Happy Birthday" and blew her a kiss.
"You look great," Witherspoon relayed to Spears, "and I hope you have a great day."
On Sunday, Spears's MTV special, Britney: For the Record, which documented some of her personal problems of the past year, was watched by more than 3.7 million viewers, according to the cable music network. Those are high numbers for MTV.
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All about Britney Spears
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| SIMON COWELL: BRITNEY SPEARS IS IN AWE OF ME Blog |
Britney Spears won over one of America's toughest critics with her string of comeback performances last week: Simon Cowell!
As part of a promotional tour to tout Tuesday's release of her new album, Circus, Spears, 26, performed "Womanizer" on Cowell's X-Factor Saturday. It marked her first UK television performance in four years. (Watch a video here)
Cowell had high praise for the singer, telling KIIS-FM's Ryan Seacrest he was impressed by her professionalism.
"Of all the artists I've had on this show, there was more buzz, more excitement for this girl," he said. "Literally it was as if the president was on the show. She was terrific. Very professional. I like ["Womanizer"], I think it's a good record."
Look back at Britney's career highlights.
How would the notoriously nasty American Idol judge grade Spears' performance?
"9.5 [out of 10]," he told Extra. "This girl's got huge star quality....You've got to hand it to her. She's a great performer."
"I would literally have her on my show every week for the next 10 years," he told Seacrest.
What did the pair chat about backstage before Spears' performance? Not much, Cowell says.
See photos of Britney through the years.
"To be fair - and this may be a bit egotistical - I think she was in awe of me," he joked to Seacrest. "It was like she was just staring at me. At the end of it, I just said 'Look - touch me - I'm human!' And I think that broke the ice."
Tell Us: Do you plan to buy Britney's new album?
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| SIMON COWELL SAYS BRITNEY SPEARS WAS 'IN AWE' OF HIM Blog |
If Simon Cowell gets his way, Britney Spears could be the next guest star on American Idol.
The British producer raved about the singer after she performed on his British talent show X Factor.
"Of all the artists I have ever had on any of these shows, there was more buzz, more excitement for this girl [than anyone else]," Cowell told Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM radio show. "It was as if the president was on the show. I love it. I think if you're going to be a star, be a star." Cowell, who is a fan of Spears's single "Womanizer", said it would be crazy to not invite her to be on Idol when it returns in January. "I would literally have her on my show every week for the next 10 years," he said.
Spears performed "Womanizer" before listening to the show's five remaining contestants sing her songs. Behind the scenes, Cowell said the superstar was a bit shy. "To be fair, and this may be a bit egotistical, I think she was in awe of me," he said. "She was just staring at me. I said, 'Touch me, I'm human,' and I think that broke the ice."
Cowell also opened up about his recent split with longtime girlfriend Terri Seymour. "I take it day by day, that's the only thing you can do," Cowell said. "You just get through the day. I've given myself years on this one. I'm not saying it's easy, but it's a day-by-day struggle."
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| BRITNEY SPEARS HEADS TO EUROPE FOR CIRCUS Blog |
Although a long holiday weekend is right around the corner, Britney Spears is getting to work promoting her upcoming album, Circus, in Europe.
The singer boarded a flight from Los Angeles to Frankfurt, Germany on Monday for several appearances in support of the album, which is scheduled to be released Dec. 2.
Spears is traveling with several close associates and family members, including her father, Jamie, and manager Larry Rudolph. According to an eyewitness, the singer – dressed in a brown fedora, black sweatpants and a pink top – jumped out of her white Cadillac Escalade smiling and holding her dad's hand at the airport. After a short time in Germany, Spears is expected to appear on the French program, Star Academy, and on Simon Cowell's X Factor in England before returning to the U.S. next week. She is scheduled to go on a worldwide tour in the spring of next year.
Spears's candid new MTV documentary, Britney: For the Record, airs Nov. 30.
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| PAULA GOODSPEED SENT ABDUL FLOWERS DAYS BEFORE SUICIDE Blog |
Last week, Paula Abdul got flowers with a note signed, "Love, J.T." and the message, "Hope you're doing great. Here's my new cell number."
Thinking they came from her restaurateur boyfriend J.T. Torregiani, Abdul called him asking why he changed his number, a source close to Abdul tells PEOPLE. When he said he hadn't, Abdul knew immediately who really sent them: ex-American Idol contestant Paula Goodspeed, according to the source.
For the last three years – since Goodspeed was dismissed from her disastrous Idol audition with derisive comments from judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson – Abdul had been getting more than 100 letters, numerous phone calls and even visits from Goodspeed, the source says.
"The flower thing was really scary – Paula [Abdul] really couldn't handle that. She was terrified," says the source.
Changed Her Name to PaulaOn Tuesday night, the body of the 30-year-old aspiring singer was found in a car near Abdul's home in Los Angeles, an apparent suicide victim from what police believe was a drug overdose. Her mother had reported her missing, directing officers to Abdul's neighborhood and expressing fears Goodspeed was suicidal.
Signs of Goodspeed's infatuation with Abdul included her car's personalized license plate "ABL LV" and a photo of Abdul hanging from the rearview mirror. During her audition, she said that she often drew pictures of Abdul and been drawing them since she was young.
Also, PEOPLE has learned, Goodspeed had changed her first name from Sandra to Paula.
But a relative of Goodspeed, who knew her well, disputes the characterization of her as a celebrity stalker.
She Was a "Good Person""She was a good person. She'd give the shirt off her back for anyone who needed it. She was not suicidal," says her niece, Sonja McIntyre, 20, of Maine, who last spoke with her aunt about two months ago.
"She was cheery. She was excited," says McIntyre. "She was coming back to Maine" – where Goodspeed grew up.
McIntyre confirms that Goodspeed changed her name from Sandra to Paula, but says she did it about 16 years ago and suggests the decision may not have had anything to do with Abdul. "She just liked the name Paula," she says.
Although Abdul says she never voluntarily met Goodspeed since the audition, Goodspeed told her niece that she had met Abdul about a year ago – "at Starbucks or something," she says – and that Goodspeed was "excited she got to meet such a big star."
When McIntyre visited California, her aunt showed her Abdul's house, but not in a way that suggested she was a stalker.
"Me and her went by Paula's house a couple of times. That's about it," says the niece. "She was showing me where she lived. We liked looking at the huge condos out there ... Why they found her dead in her car near Paula Abdul's house, I do not know. But I don't believe my aunt killed herself."
Struggled as a SingerEd Faris, a producer/songwriter in Los Angeles, worked with Goodspeed on her fledgling singing career around 2005 or 2006, and remembered her as "a bit off the wall."
"I was hired by her singing coach to help Paula record some songs," he says. "She wore the craziest outfits. She'd show up to my home studio wearing fluorescent pants and skirts, with trinkets hanging off her jacket. She was a sweet person, very nice, but a little insecure."
Once she started singing, though, Faris immediately knew she wouldn't be taken seriously in the music industry.
"She was a bit delusional thinking she could make a career out of this, but she was so incredibly determined, so [the singing coach] and I tried to encourage her," he says. "Paula did make a couple references to Paula Abdul, but nothing really out of the ordinary."
During the recording process, Goodspeed struggled and "broke down and cried several times," Faris says, and in the end they finished only one song and left two others incomplete. He sent the tracks to the singing coach, "and that was the last time I worked with Paula," he says.
"I was shocked to hear about her death, I never thought it would come to that," says Faris. "It's just a sad situation all around."
• Reporting by JENNIFER GARCIA, LIZA HAMM and KEN LEEWho's your Favorite Star Under 35? PEOPLE.com and the People's Choice Awards are counting your votes! Click here to vote now!
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| SIMON COWELL'S EX: 'I'LL ALWAYS LOVE HIM' Blog |
Former model Terri Seymour says there will always be a special place in her heart for reality TV's Mr. Mean.
"You know, I'll always love Simon," Seymour tells Britain's Daily Mail of her ex-beau, Idol judge Simon Cowell. "When you've been with someone that long, you can't help it."
The British couple spent six years together but only revealed the split on Nov 1. Since then Cowell has sworn he has kicked the female habit."Don't worry about me," he said four days later. "I don't need a lonely hearts ad. I'm off women now."
But if he ever reconsiders, Cowell may just get to see more of Seymour.
"I'll always have a special place in my heart for him, but it was time to move on," she adds.
Seymour, who was once a Wheel of Fortune host and now presents for Extra, also reveals the Cowell who means the most to her – his mom.
"I'll tell you who I'll really miss – his mum, Julie. She's a lovely lady, and so much fun," says Seymour. "When we split up, she said to me, 'You'll always be my little girl – I adore you.'"
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| SIMON COWELL SWEARS OFF WOMEN AFTER BREAK-UP Blog |
Don't expect to see Simon Cowell on Match.com anytime soon.
The snarky small-screen star – who recently announced his split from girlfriend-of-six-years Terri Seymour – has told Britain's Daily Mirror he is giving up girls.
"Don't worry about me," he said. "I don't need a lonely hearts ad. I'm off women now." But the American Idol judge – who said Seymour recently broke things off over the phone – insisted that they remain pals.
"Everything's fine between me and Terri," he said. "I've always been very close to all my ex-girlfriends. We've never fallen out – they're like my best friends."
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| SIMON COWELL: EX WANTED "A DIFFERENT PATH IN LIFE" Blog |
Simon Cowell is speaking out for the first time about why he split with girlfriend of six years, Terri Seymour.
"She wants a different path in life, and I totally respect her for it," Cowell tells Fox News. "We will be the best of mates, but I think in relationships, you have to be totally honest. I have always been and I know Terri knows that.
“I find women confusing, really," Cowell went on. "When you hook up and date, you're both honest about what you want. I have never ever said that I want children or marriage. I know some people find it hard to fathom, but it's me, it's who I am."
Does these stars look better after breakup?
He denies rumors that another woman was involved.
"There is no one new in my life. I can honestly say some of my best friends are girls, but we're not dating, and that is that," he says. "Forget any lurid tabloid headlines. Myself and Terri will remain firm friends. We're grown ups."
Cowell says he is still in love ... with his job.
"Bottom line is I am married to my job," says the American Idol judge. "When people moan about being a celebrity, I think 'Oh please, sort yourself out – it’s the greatest job in the world.'
"I wake up daily thanking my lucky stars, but to throw marriage into that mix is not right," Cowell continues. "I have seen too many celebrity marriages that on paper make a great mix, fall apart through ego and just plain celebrity madness."
Check out the worst American Idol contestants of all time!
Tell Us: Could you date Simon?
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| LEONA LEWIS VOWS, 'I WANT TO ADOPT' Blog |
Leona Lewis had an unexpected reaction to visiting South Africa earlier this year: the desire to adopt children.
"I wanted to take home all the kids. They were so cute. All of them had been orphaned because of HIV and it was heart-rending," the Bleeding Love singer, 23, tells Britain's Daily Mirror. "There are so many who need help – both here and abroad – you just don't know where to start."
Lewis, the Simon Cowell protégé who performed at the closing finale to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, says her upbringing would make her an ideal mom for troubled children. "My mum was a social worker and my dad was a youth offender officer, so I know that there are a lot of kids out there that need to be fostered and adopted," she says. "I definitely want to adopt."
Meanwhile, the performer has to cope with the rigors of her upcoming world tour – and being separated from her boyfriend and childhood sweetheart, Lou Al-Chama.
"I miss him so much every time we're apart because he is also my very best friend," she says. "I write little letters to him, and he makes me a CD of different songs I can listen to. He's lovely."
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| SIMON COWELL SPLITS WITH GIRLFRIEND TERRI SEYMOUR Blog |
Simon Cowell and girlfriend Terri Seymour, 34, have ended their six year relationship, Cowell's rep confirmed to Usmagazine.com.
"They broke up about a month ago. It was Terri's idea, not Simon's," Cowell's rep, Max Clifford told Us on Saturday. "Simon is doing alright, but they were together a long time and so you can understand that it's going to be a strange time."
Clifford added: "It was something that was coming, so it wasn't a shock or a surprise."
Do these stars look better after the breakup?
The pair, who began dating in 2002, remain friendly.
"They have so much history," Clifford said. "They spoke a week ago and were on the phone to each other yesterday."
Meanwhile, Cowell is keeping busy with work.
"He has so much on, with a new Idol, Britain's Got Talent and the X-Factor so he'll be concentrating on [that]," Clifford said.
Any chance of a reconciliation?
"I don't know, only Simon and Terri know that. You should speak to her," Clifford said.
See celeb couples who couldn't call it quits.
In an interview with London's Daily Mail in 2007, the American Idol judge, 48, revealed he has no plans to ever settle down.
"[My mother] can see this is my life, and I'm happy with it," he told the Daily Mail. "She has her grandchildren, courtesy of my brother Nicholas. Of course she always thought she would talk me round, but in the past few years I think she has realized this is how it is."
See what your favorite Idol contestants are up to now.
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| SIMON COWELL SPLITS WITH GIRLFRIEND Blog |
Simon Cowell and longtime girlfriend Terri Seymour have split, Cowell's rep confirms to PEOPLE.
"Terri phoned Simon and finished it in September, about six weeks ago," says Cowell's rep, Max Clifford. "They are going to remain close friends. Simon thinks the world of Terri and that isn't going to change. He also understands her reason for ending it."
The couple were together for six years. Seymour, 34, first met Cowell, 48, when she was 18, but the couple didn't begin dating until she interviewed him for a show in 2002."In the past Terri has said that she wants kids but that just isn't Simon," added Clifford. "Nobody else is involved, certainly not on Simon's side."
The split was first reported by the UK's Daily Mirror.
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| SIMON COWELL: HUDSON FAMILY DEATHS ARE "ABSOLUTELY HORRENDOUS" Blog |
American Idol judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul are expressing their well wishes to season three contestant Jennifer Hudson, whose mother, brother and nephew were violently killed by an unidentified assailant last week in Chicago.
"What has happened is absolutely horrendous," Cowell tells Usmagazine.com in a statement. "My thoughts go out to Jennifer and all her family. This is absolutely horrible."
Abdul tells Entertainment Tonight the domestic-related murders are a "horrific tragedy and my thoughts and prayers go out to Jennifer and her entire family.
"The time I had to get to know Jennifer and forge a wonderful friendship with her while she was on [American] Idol was very special to me, and I personally can't imagine a greater loss for any family."
Police are questioning William Balfour -- the estranged husband of Jennifer's sister -- as a person of interest in the Hudson family deaths.
Meanwhile, neighbors and well-wishers dropped off teddy bears and flowers outside the Hudson family's Chicago home on Monday.
According to the Chicago Tribune, no one planned the vigil ahead of time; all the neighbors said they gathered in a common grief.
The Hudson family deaths reflect the violence that is too often a part of the neighborhood.
"Everybody is touched by this," Kevin Smith - who brought his 5-year-old son, Kevin - told the Tribune. "You just wish there was more that you could do. You can't do nothing but come by here and pay your respects."
See Us' photo tribute to stars gone too soon.
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| SIMON COWELL & PAULA ABDUL: OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO JENNIFER HUDSON Blog |
American Idol judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul are sending their condolences to onetime contestant Jennifer Hudson after the singer's mother, brother and nephew were all found dead.
"This is a horrific tragedy and my thoughts and prayers go out to Jennifer and her entire family," Abdul said Monday evening after news broke that police had identified the body of Hudson's missing 7-year-old nephew, Julian King.
The boy was found in the back of an SUV three days after Hudson's mother and brother were fatally shot in the mother's Chicago home.
"The time I had to get to know Jennifer and forge a wonderful friendship with her while she was on Idol was very special to me, and I personally can't imagine a greater loss for any family."
Hudson, 27, got her start on American Idol before going on to win an Oscar for her role in Dreamgirls.
Cowell also sent a heartfelt message to Hudson, tells Extra, "I was horrified when I heard the news. This is an appalling tragedy. My thoughts right now are with Jennifer, and her family."
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| SIMON COWELL: HUDSON FAMILY DEATHS ARE "ABSOLUTELY HORRENDOUS" Blog |
American Idol judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul are expressing their well wishes to season three contestant Jennifer Hudson, whose mother, brother and nephew were violently killed by an unidentified assailant last week in Chicago.
"What has happened is absolutely horrendous," Cowell tells Usmagazine.com in a statement. "My thoughts go out to Jennifer and all her family. This is absolutely horrible."
Abdul tells Entertainment Tonight the domestic-related murders are a "horrific tragedy and my thoughts and prayers go out to Jennifer and her entire family.
"The time I had to get to know Jennifer and forge a wonderful friendship with her while she was on [American] Idol was very special to me, and I personally can't imagine a greater loss for any family."
Police are questioning William Balfour -- the estranged husband of Jennifer's sister -- as a person of interest in the Hudson family deaths.
Meanwhile, neighbors and well-wishers dropped off teddy bears and flowers outside the Hudson family's Chicago home on Monday.
According to the Chicago Tribune, no one planned the vigil ahead of time; all the neighbors said they gathered in a common grief.
The Hudson family deaths reflect the violence that is too often a part of the neighborhood.
"Everybody is touched by this," Kevin Smith - who brought his 5-year-old son, Kevin - told the Tribune. "You just wish there was more that you could do. You can't do nothing but come by here and pay your respects."
See Us' photo tribute to stars gone too soon.
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| CLAY AIKEN ANNOUNCES WINNING WRITER OF HIS OFFICIAL BIO Blog |
This has been quite a season for announcements from Clay Aiken.
Aiken, who besides making news as an openly gay father, is currently starring on Broadway in Monty Python's Spamalot.
His latest accomplishment is the announcement of the winner of the "Write Clay's Playbill Biography Contest," which provided members of the singer's fan club the opportunity to pen his official bio for program of the Tony-winning musical.
And the winner is: Jo-Anne Lopez of Carlsbad, Calif. Her publication-worthy prose (which takes into consideration the musical spoof's humorous reference to Finland): CLAY AIKEN was born southwest of Finland, in Raleigh, N.C., a little more than 29 years ago. Although his younger years were spent belting out tunes from atop piles of Sears carpet samples, his mature teenage years saw him cast in musical theater roles such as Singer #2 in his high school production of The Music Man, which was met with enough success not to get him cast in his final high school production. His ego thus bolstered, he had more than enough incentive to audition for American Idol Season 2, the outcome of which (in the prophetic #2 spot) has made him arguably the most beloved and successful contestant ever to have irritated Simon Cowell. A bestselling book, UNICEF Ambassadorship and multiple platinum recordings later, six or seven sold-out nationwide tours notwithstanding, and after a first very successful run in Spamalot early this year, Clay is currently finding his second grail, on Broadway, right here at the Shubert [Theatre]. For his next project, he plans to teach a modern Torah class.
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| EXCLUSIVE: AMERICAN IDOL SAYS SIMON COWELL CRUELTY LED HER TO DEPRESSION, DRUGS Blog |
American Idol alum Nikki McKibbin, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, has revealed Simon Cowell led her on a downward spiral.
"I came out of Idol with a lack of self-confidence," McKibbin tells the new issue of Us Weekly. "I think I had my first solo in school when I was 5, and I got more as I got older: That's the biggest compliment in choir. I had never been told I wasn't good enough. Having to hear it for so many weeks from Simon Cowell killed me inside. I couldn't get the s--t he had said to me out of my head."
She continued: "It drove me deeper into my depression. I wouldn't say that this was Simon's fault. It just added to the addict that I already was."
Cowell compared one of her performances to Adam Sandler's tone deaf character in The Wedding Singer.
"We were heavily chaperoned, but I would buy vodka and sneak it into the refrigerator on the bottom floor," McKibbin tells Us. "If I wasn't too exhausted, I'd have one or two drinks."
The season one contestant finished third behind Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson.
See what your favorite Idol contestants are up to now.
McKibbin - who wed her childhood roller-skating coach, Craig Sadler, 39, in 2007 - is sober after being treated on the second season of VH1's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew (premieres October 23 at 10 p.m.).
For more on the singer's battle with alcohol and drugs and the pysch ward stay that led her to pick up the pieces, pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly on newsstands now.
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| AMERICAN IDOL ALUM LAKISHA JONES TO WED Blog |
Here comes the bride...
LaKisha Jones - who finished fourth on season six's American Idol - is tying the knot.
USA Today reports she will wed fiancé Larry Davis on Sunday in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Jones, 28, plans to wear an Alfred Angelo strapless gown, Neil Lane diamond earrings, bracelet and necklace, on loan from The Platinum Guild, and Stuart Weitzman shoes adorned with the couple's initials in Swarovski crystals, the site reports.
The wedding theme is Old Hollywood -- so both bride and groom will wear white and the bridal party will be dressed in black.
Check out unforgettable celebrity wedding photos.
Gospel singer BeBe Winans will perform a song in front of guests, including Chaka Khan and former Idol contestants Melinda Doolittle and Gina Glocksen.
See what your favorite Idol contestants are up to now.
The couple plans to honeymoon in Barbados.
Jones impressed judge Simon Cowell during auditions. After she belted out Aretha Franklin's "Think," Cowell proclaimed, "I loved this girl."
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| SIMON COWELL: BRITNEY SPEARS MAY PERFORM ON UK'S X FACTOR Blog |
Britney Spears may perform on UK's X Factor singing competition, Simon Cowell told Extra.
"I think Britney Spears is going to perform," the show's judge said.
"We didn't get her," he explained. "She's got a record coming out. We have the number one show in England. It's the best show for her to perform on.
"We're absolutely thrilled to have her," he raved. "She's a hugely talented person... She's the number one booking in the world at the moment for a show."
See photos of Britney Spears through the years.
Earlier this month, Spears opened the MTV Video Music Awards.
On Wednesday, the singer's rep confirmed she's unloading her six-bedroom, six-bathroom Studio City, Calif., home for $7.9 million.
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| SIMON COWELL REACTS TO CLAY AIKEN COMING OUT Blog |
American Idol judge Simon Cowell is supportive of season two runner-up Clay Aiken's decision to reveal he is gay.
"Good for him," Cowell told TV's Extra. "If he said it, it's the right thing for him."
Cowell, 48, says he doesn't think Aiken's sexual orientation will matter to the performer's rabid fan base. "I don't think anyone cares," Cowell said. "Let's face it. It's 2008. You know. Who cares?"Cowell couldn't resist showing his sarcastic side to the TV program when he feigned surprise at the news that Aiken, 29, came out of the closet: "Wow. That's a shock," he said. "It's like being told Santa Claus isn't real. Unbelievable."
Cowell also shot down a report that Aiken had asked him to be godfather to his six-week-old son, Parker, whose mother is Aiken's friend Jaymes Foster (sister of music producer David Foster). "I don't know him well enough, and I think I'd be the last person on Earth he'd call."
The Idol judge did have some career advice for the singer, who is currently starring in Spamalot on Broadway: "Make a good record. He's got a good voice. He's on the front cover of PEOPLE. He's still popular. Good for him."
People
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| PAULA ABDUL "CONCERNED" ABOUT FOURTH IDOL JUDGE Blog |
Paula Abdul has mixed feelings about Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi being added as a fourth judge on Fox's American Idol.
On Phoenix's 104.7 KISS FM Johnjay & Rich radio show Monday, she said she was excited but added, "I am concerned about the audience and acceptance. Time will tell. We'll see."
She said producers hired DioGuardi because they "wanted to try a change.
"They always tried for a fourth judge because it followed the format of the original show, Pop Idol," Abdul said. "We haven't had much luck with that working, but we're gonna give it another try."
Asked if she, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell have sat down with DioGuardi to test their chemistry, Abdul replied, "Nope," and laughed.
What happens if she and Jackson vote one way, but DioGuardi feels differently?
"That's gonna be weird if it's a split decision," Abdul said. "I'm sure Simon will get to make the final [call]."
"It takes the fun out of all the hard work I do to push those kids through," she added.
DioGuardi will be involved in "everything" (including live shows), said Abdul, who is in New York City for Idol auditions. "We shoot tomorrow."
The show premieres in January.
See photos of Idol's most controversial contestants.
DioGuardi's songs have appeared on more than 100 million records by the likes of Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Pink, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey.
The songwriter's work has also been used by past Idol contestants, including Katharine McPhee, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Bo Bice, and Clay Aiken.
See photos of where your favorite Idols are now.
"She is a smart, sassy lady, and one of America's most successful songwriters. We know she will bring a new level of energy and excitement to the show," Fuller added.
Tell Us: Do you think the show needs a fourth judge?
Usmagazine
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| BREAKING NEWS: AMERICAN IDOL ADDS FOURTH JUDGE Blog |
American Idol is adding a fourth judge: Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi.
DioGuardi will appear at the judges' table with Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson on the eighth season of the hit show, which premieres in January.
"We are turning the heat up on Idol this year and are thrilled to welcome Kara to the judges' table," show creator and executive producer Simon Fuller said in a statement.
DioGuardi's songs have appeared on more than 100 million records by the likes of Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Pink, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey.
The songwriter's work has also been used by past Idol contestants, including Katharine McPhee, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Bo Bice, and Clay Aiken.
See photos of where your favorite Idols are now.
"She is a smart, sassy lady, and one of America's most successful songwriters. We know she will bring a new level of energy and excitement to the show," Fuller added.
American Idol was originally slated to have four judges, executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz said in the statement announcing the news.
"We've seen from our international series that having a fourth judge creates a dynamic that benefits both the contestants and the viewers," she explained.
See photos of Idol's most controversial contestants.
Usmagazine
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| SIMON COWELL TO SANJAYA: "I SORT OF MISS YOU" Blog |
American Idol's Sanjaya Malakar got a little love from Simon Cowell.
In a video message to Extra, the judge told the season six singer: "Hello, Sanjaya. In a strange way, I sort of miss you."
Cowell famously threatened to quit the show if Malakar was crowned the winner, declaring, "He's not going to win!"
But Malakar has no hard feelings these days. His response?
"Well, thank you, Simon," Malakar, 18, responded, according to Extra. "I kind of miss you, too."
See photos of Idols: where are they now?
Malakar is milking his 15 minutes of fame. He sings in a new nationwide Mutual Insurance Company commercial (Kevin Federline also starred in a spot for them) and is recording an album.
The singer's interview with Extra wouldn't be complete without bringing up his most famous feature: his hair.
So is it gel or hairspray to tame the mane?
"I actually prefer water," he said. "Mousse and gel are gross – makes my hair all crusty."
See more controversial hairstyles.
Tell Us: Do you miss Sanjaya or other past Idols?
Usmagazine
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| TV GUIDE: OPRAH EARNS $385 MILLION PER YEAR Blog |
Oprah Winfrey earns a whopping $385 million a year.
Simon Cowell banks $50 million.
David Letterman? $32 million!
They're among the stars who appear in TV Guide's annual star salary survey, based on information from TV industry insiders and published sources.
Who else brings in the big bucks?
According to the magazine, newlywed Charlie Sheen is the highest-paid comedy star on primetime television, with $825,000 per episode.
CSI's William Peterson — who is leaving the show this upcoming season — is the highest-paid actor in a prime-time drama, earning $600,000 per episode.
With $400,000 an episode, Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay is the highest-paid actress in a drama. Kyra Sedgwick takes home $275,000 per episode of TNT's The Closer, making her top- earning actress on a cable network drama.
Some stars make serious money without appearing on TV at all.
Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, who supplies the voice of lead character Peter Griffin, just signed a deal with Fox that will net him $100 million through 2012.
And The Simpsons cast — Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith and Hank Azaria — each earn $400,000 per episode.
For the complete list of star salaries, pick up the new issue of TV Guide, out August 7.
Usmagazine
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