Randy Jackson

We definitely did not see this one coming, but it looks like a stroke of genius! Fox announced yesterday that Ellen DeGeneres will be joining American Idol this season as the fourth judge, replacing the departing Paula Abdul. She won't be giving up her talk show. She will continue to do both, she says.

Paula Adbul might be plotting to take American Idol down, but Simon Cowell still misses her. He says, "I miss her, of course," and that the show is just different without her.

Let the rumors begin.

They split back in November but last night, exes Terri Seymour and Simon Cowell posed for photos together at Beso where they were both attending a fundraiser.

And didn’t they look cozy?

Simon looks like he’d rather be sandwiched between a naked Randy Jackson and Clay Aiken then next to Terri.

–Sasha Perl-Raver

Yesterday we published a report about American Idol judge Randy Jackson fraternizing with Idol contestant Adam Lambert before he made the Top 12.

Not surprisingly, Idol and Jackson immediately released a denial of the story, acknowledging the encounter at Katsuya, but saying the two had only “run into each other” and that was it.

Mmm hmmm.

When you were a kid and you did something wrong, what was the first thing that came out of your mouth?

Hmmm.

Apparently Randy Jackson didn’t learn anything from Paula Abdul’s scandal with Season 2’s Corey Clark because our sources tell us Jackson had dinner with one of Idol’s Top 36 contestants the night before their big audition for the Top 12.

We’ve been saying it for weeks now and Simon Cowell agrees.

American Idol will once again crown a man champion.

“[It will be a] boy this year,” Cowell said at the Elton John Aids Foundation Oscar party on Sunday night. “I think it’s a dude too,” said Randy Jackson.

Well, duh, we’ve been saying that all along.

Our fingers are crossed for Normal Gentle (aka: Nick Mitchell)!

Best Idol contestant since Kelly Clarkson!!!

 —Sasha Perl-Raver

Awww! Don’t they just look like the coziest of peas in a pod?

American Idol introduces their new judge, Kara DioGuardi, at the New York auditions which kicked off on Tuesday. It was the first time all four judges were able to get together.

What does this photo say to you?

We told you to expect some major changes at American Idol.

Today, the show announced there will be a fourth judge that tone-deaf wannabes will have to impress if they want to be sent to Hollywood. Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi is joining Randy, Simon and Paula when the show premieres its eighth season in January 2009.

American Idol isn’t really about watching singers for most viewers. It’s about Simon Cowell’s brutal honesty, sucker punching young hopefuls, Randy Jackson saying, “It was a little pitchy, dawg” and Paula Abdul being a complete nut case wreck, who’s on the brink of being tossed into a padded room.

Last night, Paula was in fine form.