Simon Cowell

By Alex Dobuzinskis The stars of Fox’s “American Idol” expect great things from new judge Ellen DeGeneres , but they are all saying something different about her addition to the judging panel of Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, and her replacement of songstress Paula Abdul.

By Alex Dobuzinskis Even alpha judge Simon Cowell was impressed. “No one can top that now,” Cowell told the contestant nicknamed “Glambert,” who on Tuesday night sported his usual eyeliner. In contrast to last week on "American Idol" when it seemed the contestants could do no wrong, the judges found plenty of...

By Alex Dobuzinskis None of the judges has ever said anything that ominous to Lambert, whose ride to the Top 5 was among the smoothest of any contestant this season. After Lambert ended up in the Bottom Three, panelists Paula Abdul and Kara DioGuardi both expressed shock.

By Nichola Groom “I have a horrible feeling you could be in trouble tonight,” Cowell said, as his fellow judges vehemently disagreed. The dearth of female contestants also comes as Cowell has complained stridently about Abdul and DioGuardi eating up time when the judges review singers.

By Nichola Groom Kris Allen, the show’s “pretty boy” contestant, is a big hit with women viewers. The guitar-strumming Arkansan’s performances, however, have also won huge praise from the judges nearly every week. To use an “Idol” word, he could be among the most “commercial” of the remaining contestant...

By Alex Dobuzinskis Before he went on stage, the camera swooped down on "American Idol" contestant Adam Lambert as he stood beaming in the crowd. But as usual, Lambert was more than just a face in the crowd on Tuesday night, as he again wowed the judges and solidified his frontrunner status.

By Alex Dobuzinskis On “Idol” Wednesday night, host Ryan Seacrest (who was careful to dress the same for the pre-tape as for Wednesday’s live broadcast), mentioned Hudson’s Oscar win for her role in the 2006 movie “Dreamgirls” and her Grammy win for best R&B album this year.

By Mike Collett-White A British TV talent show has uncovered an unlikely star in the form of Susan Boyle, an unemployed 47-year-old from West Lothian in Scotland. In the mould of tenor Paul Potts, the winner of the show two years ago who went on to top the charts, Boyle is now the bookies’ favourite to win the 2009...

By Nichola Groom “American Idol” is already down to nine singers, and as the contestants have honed their performances, judge Simon Cowell has refined his famous one-liners. This week he was in top form, sparing only a select few from his special brand of humiliation.

By Alex Dobuzinskis Earlier this week, “American Idol” judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson said on late night program “The Tonight Show” that they expect a male contestant to win the singing competition this year. Earlier this week, "American Idol" judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson said on late night...

By Nichola Groom “Country Week” is always a mixed bag on “American Idol”, alternately filling viewers with anticipation and dread. “Glad to have you back, Anoop,” Cowell said. Country Week" is always a mixed bag on "American Idol", alternately filling viewers with both anticipation and dread.

By Alex Dobuzinskis “American Idol” fans get an extra night of action this week in the form of a bonus episode on Thursday night, so the judges can bring back three contestants previously eliminated by the fans. The wildcard round will likely offer a second shot at fame for a couple contestants from Tuesday nig...

By Alex Dobuzinskis As far as how much voters take their cues from the judges, that became a matter of debate on Tuesday night’s show. When his fellow panelists told Simon Cowell it was up to the voters to decide which contestants advance, Cowell had a ready reply.

By Nichola Groom The new judge, Kara DioGuardi, even got into a singing faceoff with one of the contestants, a woman named Katrina Darrell who showed up in a string bikini, delighting male judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson and earning the scorn of DioGuardi and Paula Abdul. It’s unlikely that DioGuard...

By Nichola Groom Well, well, well… here we are. An “American Idol” has been chosen yet again, and those of us who have been following the show moment-by-moment are in what can only be described as a post-”Idol” hangover. Q: What did you think of Simon Cowell’s apology?

By Nichola Groom David Archuleta, the teenage crooner whose satiny voice and babyfaced looks have stolen the hearts of teenage girls, was all but crowned the winner of this season’s “American Idol” by judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson on Tuesday night. Playing on a boxing theme the show took on to high...

By Nichola Groom It was supposed to be Syesha’s night. After all, it was the axed Floridian’s last chance to shine on “American Idol” after a meteoric rise to third place that no one expected. Many viewers commented on Simon Cowell’s slack-jawed stare during Fantasia’s performance, saying he couldn’t hav...

By Nichola Groom But notwithstanding the near certainty of a David showdown, it was still a shock to see Paula Abdul administer Mercado’s death sentence on Tuesday night’s episode. David Cook, meanwhile, got lukewarm reviews from Randy Jackson on all three of his performances. Cowell and Abdul were kind...

By Nichola Groom There’s no question that Syesha Mercado is one tough “American Idol” contestant. Later, Mercado broke down in tears after judge Randy Jackson said he hadn’t liked her performance, while Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell both praised her singing.

By Nichola Groom “American Idol” delivered its first major shock of the season on Thursday with the ousting of Aussie hunk Michael Johns. The studio audience gasped when host Ryan Seacrest said Johns was being sent packing, and even Simon Cowell said he would miss Johns, who he called “a very very nice guy.”...