Um, American Idol, what were you thinking, ushering Casey James to safety right away?

What was the audience supposed to think after that? That, somehow, season-long favorites Crystal Bowersox and Lee Dewyze weren’t going to make the top three along with Casey?

Because if they thought that, they would have been dead wrong!

It was the end of the road—kinda obviously, by that point—for the lovable Michael Lynche, who was technically eliminated weeks ago but remained in the competition thanks to the judges’ decision give him another chance.

“It’s been unbelievable,” the new dad, whose wife gave birth during Hollywood week, said of his experience. “I sit here right now and think, ‘I wasn’t even supposed to be here.’ Thank God for the judges saving me.”

Then it was hugs all around from Lee, Crystal and Casey. The trio will be feted in their respective hometowns with parades and media appearances before next Tuesday’s performance show, when they will sing two songs apiece, one they’ve picked themselves and another selected for them by the judges.

Are you happy with this top three, or has Casey continued to fail upward? Or maybe you don’t think much of Lee or have had enough of Crystal. Do share!

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FOX confirms that the teen pop sensation will be the celebrity mentor during the Billboard No.1 hits-themed show on Tuesday (8 p.m. EST). Of the 11 contestants left, three are teens: Siobhan Magnus, 19, and Aaron Kelly, 16, and Katie Stevens, 17. Tim Urban is 20 years old.

But last week’s theme — contestants performed from The Rolling Stones‘ song book — proved age is nothing but a number as Magnus, Kelly and Stevens all pleased the judges with their take on classic songs by the legendary rock band.

On Wednesday’s results show (9 p.m. EST), Miley will be back to perform her hit song, “When I Look At You,” and new couple Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato will sing their duet, “Make A Wave.”

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But in an interview with fellow Britain’s Got Talent judge Piers Morgan, scheduled to air Saturday on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories: Simon Cowell in the U.K., the sharp-tongued Brit uncharacteristically opens his heart, confessing that he’s “smitten” with new fiancée, Mezghan Hussainy.

“You confuse lust with love, you know, when you’re in your teens and stuff like that,” Cowell says. “It’s a difficult thing to describe other than you know it when you are.”

At times stumbling over his words, Cowell continues: “You just know when you’ve found somebody special and I feel very, very happy.”

Cowell, 50, who will leave American Idol after this season, also hinted that children could be in his future. “I think I possibly need to have a few more Simons around,” he said, though he admitted he was “kidding.” Still, he says, “The thing about kids, it’s like marriage, you know you have to believe you’re in something that you’re in for the long term – a hundred percent.”

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David Cook announced the Saturday death at the 12th annual Race for Hope 5K in Washington, D.C., where he was serving as grand marshal. The singer says the cause of death was a brain tumor.

Adam Cook was a lawyer and married father from Terre Haute, Ind., who battled cancer for more than a decade. He famously cheered for his singing sibling in the audience of the popular Fox signing competition’s seventh season in 2008.

Our condolences go to David Cook and Adam cook’s family.

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Probably trying to avoid viewer’s fatigue, the reality show American Idol made unprecedented changes for this eighth year’s season. They hope to continue getting viewers hooked to the talent search.

Songwriter Kara DioGuardi replaced Paula Abdul as the only female judge. The show is also accommodating 36 contestants instead of the 24 selected in previous seasons.

The long , dragging audition episodes have been reduced while more episodes on the Hollywood round have been added. The show will minimize the showing of silly audition performances.

A wild card episode, which is set for broadcast March 5, will give cut off contestants the opportunity to fight for one of the spots in the final 12. There won’t be a telethon for charity this season.

The top 36 are Adam Lambert, Alex Wagner-Trugman, Alexis Grace, Allison Iraheta, Anne Marie Boskovich, Anoop Desai, Arianna Afsar, Brent Keith, Casey Carlson, Danny Gokey, Jackie Tohn, Jasmine Murray, Jeanine Vailes, Jesse Langseth, Jorge Nunez-Mendez, Ju’Not Joyner, Kai Kalama, Kendall Beard, Kris Allen, Kristen McNamara, Lil Rounds, Matt Breitzke, Matt Giraud, Megan Corkrey, Michael Sarver, Mishavonna Henson, Nathaniel Marshall, Nick Mitchell, Ricky Braddy, Scott MacIntyre, Stephen Fowler, Stevie Wright, Tatiana Del Toro, Taylor Vaifanua, Joanna Pacitti, and Von Smith.

It will be interesting to see what talent Idol finds this season.

One month after alleged stalker Paula Goodspeed died from an apparent suicide in front of the Idol judge’s Hollywood home, an emotional Abdul slammed the show’s producers, blaming them for letting Goodspeed audition for the show’s fifth season.

During an interview earlier this week with Barbara Walters, Abdul, 46, claimed she warned producers about Goodspeed. “I said, ‘This girl is a stalker of mine. Please do not let her in.’ Everyone knew. I was shaking.”

But producers overrode her concerns, Abdul claimed, because “it’s fun for them to cause me stress.” Asked why she would remain on the show if she had such hard feelings, Abdul said, “Well, I’m under contract.”

But rather than hurting her with her bosses, Abdul’s outburst may have convinced Idol producers to show their angered star some love, says a source close to Abdul.

“With all the heat that has been put on the show and producers for what they did, believe it or not, the ball might be in Paula’s court,” says the source, who confirms that conversations with producers have been ongoing. “She started talking to FOX about her contract a few weeks ago and they’re in the middle of negotiating right now. She’s now planning on going back [after this eighth season]. Expect an announcement fairly soon once they hammer everything out.”

As the eighth season of Idol approaches, Abdul, who is launching her jewelry line on HSN Friday, plans to report for duty.

A rep for Abdul confirms, “She’s going on the show. Absolutely. She’s looking forward to it, she’s doing press to promote it. She’s going to be as big of a part of American Idol as she’s always been. It’s going to be an exciting season.”

Source: People

“It became too hard to maintain the relationship,” says Torregiani’s rep, who adds: “They remain best of friends.”

The couple began dating in 2006 and were spotted last June celebrating her 45th birthday together at Torregiani’s West Hollywood eatery, Ketchup, where he spent the entire night by her side.

Last summer, Abdul described her romantic life to Today show host Matt Lauer as “a horror movie” but noted that “things are looking good right now.”

“I forgot about that,” David laughed coyly to PEOPLE when fellow Idol Carly Smithson asked Michael Johns if anyone on the guy’s bus snores. “Just your dad,” quipped Johns at the L.A. press day for the Pop Tarts presents American Idol Live! Tour 2008, which kicks off in Brooke White’s hometown of Glendale, Ariz., on July 1.

“We don’t have dancers on the tour so we are utilizing Jeff Archuleta as our break dancer at the end,” Smithson joked. “He came in with his hat all bent and this big T-shirt on and he looked all like street kid!”

But David also explained that his parents will mostly likely switch off when and where they can. “I think they’re going to trade when we go to Utah,” he said. “If she has time, you know it’s all a matter of how things work out, because she has the other four kids to look after, and they all want her.”

There will be two buses on the tour, one for the men and one for the women. “It’ll be quite the experience,” said a slightly apprehensive Archuleta.

Added Smithson, whose husband will be back in San Diego during the 3-month tour, “It’s important to keep your family as normal as possible, especially for [David].” –Jed Dreben
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Calling into Idol host Ryan Seacrest’s KISS-FM show Wednesday morning, Abdul said her strange response to Jason Castro’s performance was an “honest mistake.” Abdul admits she’d written notes on both Castro and another performer on the same card, and in the end, was simply “confused” as she gave her feedback.

“In seven years we’ve never had to do that,” she told Seacrest of the format change, adding, “We were only following directions.”

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