American Idol Photos & Pics Archive

Ellen better watch out because American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi is one tough cookie! She also has a pretty bangin' bod and lots of experience...

Think she'll get along with Ellen? After all, she didn't exactly get along with Paula!

Like something out of a Grey Poupon ad, Simon Cowell graciously rolled down the window of his Rolls while leaving his mansion for a trip to London, but instead of asking for some mustard, he answered a few questions for photogs!

Simon had no comment on whether or not he'd spoken to Paula since they named Ellen Degeneres the fourth judge, but when we asked if he thought Ellen would replace him as the tough guy on the panel, he said "Yes!"

Now, we're sure that's just British sarcasm as work - anyone who's seen Ellen's turn as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance knows that she's going to keep Paula's tradition of nurturing the contestants rather than breaking them down like Simon!

It seems like every day a new superstar guest judge is confirmed to join Fox's hit reality competition!

Kelly Clarkson and a Jonas Brother will make an appearance at next week's American Idol auditions as guest celeb judges, reports Fox News' Pop Tarts. "At this stage it doesn't look like Paula will be replaced by one person," an insider told the website. "The celebrity judges are working really well for now." Kelly and one of the Jonai will join Shania Twain, Katy Perry, Victoria Beckham and Mary J. Blige as guest judges.

Should be a very interesting season! Maybe Paula will make an appearance as a guest judge too?

Kara DioGuardi was on Ryan Seacrest's KIIS FM show this morning to say that she's still stunned Paula quit the show in an apparent salary dispute.

"I can't get over it. I'm completely shocked," she told Ryan. "It's such a loss for the show, such a loss for the contestants. She's definitely the heart of the panel. The kind of heart she treated the contestants with she treated me with last year," DioGuardi went on to say. "She was so kind to me and made me feel immediately like part of the panel."

But Paula had no problem speaking out about the fact that she felt Idol didn't need a fourth judge, even though she and DioGuardi were old friends.

Kara says she hasn't talked to Paula since the announcement was made, but "I've left her a lot of messages."

Victoria Beckham (whose currently at the Denver auditions) and Katy Perry have already been tapped for guest judging spots on the show, but Fox is already searching for someone to permanently replace Paula.

Who do YOU think should be added to the panel?

While we won't know for a while if Paula will be back for American Idol next season, we can tell you that Katy Perry has signed up to be a guest judge.

And like Victoria Beckham, who will also be sitting at the judges table, Perry will be featured on just one episode.

“We’ll have these guest judges do one week each during the audition [period]… there is no thought right now that any of these judges will be long term judge for us,” Fox's Peter Rice said.

“All of the people we are talking to have successful careers. I don’t even think they’d be available to judge full-time. We have now until January to introduce a new energy to the panel.”

American Idol runner up Blake Lewis, whose second album is scheduled to drop in October, was spotted hanging out with friends at the Hollywood Bowl this weekend.

Umm, wasn't this guy supposed to be the next big thing? Yeah, not so much apparently!

Last night, Kris took his wife Katy out for a date at celeb favorite Madeo in West Hollywood.

While it was just an intimate party of two, it doesn't seem like his wife would mind a threesome...with Adam Lambert!

After Adam revealed he had a crush on Kris in Rolling Stone, Kris' wife Katy responded that she had a crush on Adam! Now THAT would be a strange menage-a-trois...

So much for all that "speculation"!

American Idol runner-up and outed singer Adam Lambert has finally put months of debate to rest.

Last night, Adam showed up to popular WeHo nightclub Guy's and Dolls holding hands with a guy, effectively crushing the dreams of a hundred thousand clueless tween girls.

DioGuardi's photo credit: Jack Guy/FOX Adam's photo courtesy MySpace

It's not as if anyone would be surprised to hear that former American Idol front-runner and now runner-up, Adam Lambert, is gay, but was he "openly gay" as Idol judge Kara DioGuardi told The View?

When asked by Barbara Walters whether she thought Adam's sexuality may have affected the Idol vote, Kara responded, "Well, first of all, I hope not, because we should be judging on talent and viability in the music industry and they both had that. I don't think that Adam was ever in [the closet]," DioGuardi continued. "I think he was always openly out."

But was he really? Adam never said either way (and it's only his business, so why should he have?) and of course, he never denied these photos were real, but he never exactly proclaimed his preference one way or the other, and, in fact, it seems as if he wants to keep the public speculating!

So is it fair for Kara to be the one to publicly "out" him?

A big, bright shining star! American Idol runner up Adam Lambert has sooooo many adoring fans. Maybe not winning will help his career even more!

Check out the hottie signing autographs in NYC on Wednesday... think he'll be more famous than Kris Allen in the end?

Despite being runner-up, we bet American Idol's Adam Lambert will become even more famous than Kris Allen! I like Allen, but he's (in Simon's words) mildly forgettable, but who could forget Lambert's trademark wail, which he displayed this morning on The Early Show?

Rumor has it he may be teaming up with legendary band Queen, (whom he performed with on the AI finale), but will Adam go the way of Daughtry and break out on his own?

And what hands he has - jazz hands!

So, rocker Adam Lambert lost last night on American Idol to crooner Kris Allen. Loves it or hates it? I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that Adam is the better singer... I mean, at least he's entertaining, flashy and original. Kris is great, don't get me wrong! But there are a ton of Kris Allens on the radio already and no Adam Lamberts. Don't dislike him because of his rings and nail polish!

Check out more pix in our MONSTER gallery below!

Photo credit: Frank Micelotta/FOX

Let's break it down...

We all know that glam rocker Adam Lambert is the favorite here. Deal with it! But some argue that Kris Allen (with his acoustic stylings) is the better singer. Plus, he's the cute one. Again, deal with it!

Performance-wise, it all came down to Adam's powerful rendition of U2's "One" and Kris' version of Kanye West's "Heartless" - that pretty much sums up these two singers' wildly different musical talent. But again, they're BOTH talented, so who should win???

I say give it to Kris. Adam is (arguably) already famous... give the boy next door some time in the sun!

CR: Michael Becker/FOX

The showdown between Adam Lambert and Kris Allen starts tonight, and although many believe Adam Lambert's a shoo-in for the title, Allen still has a shot at an upset.

These two are pretty much a study in opposites: One's hard rock, the other's soft rock. One is not-so-secretly gay, while the other one proudly displays his wife at every episode. One was a front-runner from the beginning, while the other slowly built his following with quiet confidence.

Whoever does actually win the votes, it's certainly shaping up to be quite the battle tonight at the Kodak theater!

Who will YOU be voting for?

Photo Credit: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup for FOX

YESSS!

Can you handle it? So, we all knew Adam Lambert was gonna be in the finale... but it was kind of a toss up between Danny Gokey and Kris Allen. Thankfully, America finally sent Danny home! Did anyone really want him to stay? Regardless if you like Adam or Kris, they're both wildly different singers who bring a lot to the table, right?

Also, what did you think of Jordin Sparks and Katy Perry singing??? They rocked!

Photo Credit: Ray Mickshaw/FOX

It's down to Adam Lambert (the fave), Kris Allen (the heartthrob) and Danny Gokey (the underdog) - but who's got what it takes???

I know everyone looooves Adam, and he did well singing U2 and Aerosmith, but I'm still hoping that Kris takes home the title. Sorry, Danny! But Adam will probably go on to reach some level of fame regardless of who wins... so give it to Kris! After all, he IS the cutest. Don't ya think?

And what about that Simon/Kara showdown! I'm siding with Simon on this one - if Kara didn't want a faithful rendition of "Apologize," she shoulda said so in the first place! Simon 4-eva.

Rumors of in-fighting, jealousy and redundancy have plagued the fourth Idol judge, Kara DioGuardi, almost since she started on the show, but even the critic herself admits she's not sure whether or not she'll be back for another season.

“I hope I’m here for another season,” she told Gatecrasher, “but I haven’t been asked yet.”

So she's not "the dawg" like Randy, not entertainingly nonsensical like Paula and not as mean as Simon, but am I the only person who really liked what she brought to the table? She's younger and fresher than the other judges, plus, her critiques ring true as she's the only one who's worked as a pop singer (in this century), a producer and a song writer to some of the former Idols!

Do YOU think she should stay or should she go?

Photo Credit: Jack Guy/FOX