Ousted American Idol contestant Antonella Barba was a call-in guest along with Jared “JL” Cotter on a segment of this morning’s Ryan Seacrest radio show. Seacrest commented on Barba’s emotions last night and Barba said “oh it was so hard, I had a gut feeling” then continued on to say that her gut feeling was right. When asked if the controversy caused her to grow up quickly she said “definitely, it was kind of forced, it was kind of unexpected…it was a whirlwind.” I don’t get how it was unexpected though. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that if there is controversy to be made then it will happen. She knew about the pictures she had to have had at least a little clue that they were going to be leaked.

Seacrest continued on the controversial topic and asked her how tough all the “extra noise” was during the competition. “It was unnecessary, it was just hard to deal with, it was an unnecessary distraction, trying to stay off the internet, trying to not listen to everything going on…I tried to get through it.” Thankfully for Barba her family was supportive throughout the entire ordeal reminding her that she was in a competition and that she needed to stay focused. Focused on what? Staying off-key?

In closing Seacrest asked Barba if she was going home and she said she planned to stick around Los Angeles for the next few weeks to “see what types of offers I get…I’d like to continue singing…looking at acting offers, modeling.” I wonder if Hugh Hefner has already picked up the phone to make that offer to pose in Playboy Magazine.

In a non-Antonella note there appears to be some conflict happening behind-the-scenes with regards to an unnamed male contestant who is certain he has the competition in the bag and is being rather egotistical around it. When asked about this Jared very wisely said “I don’t know if we can talk about that.” Sundance Head was interviewed on the show earlier in the day and hinted at the same controversy. So of course everyone is wondering who is this Mr. Ego? The staff at americanidolworship.com has suggested perhaps Chris Sligh. I was thinking Chris Richardson as he seems to be a little cocky since being compared to Justin Timberlake. Whoever it is, I hope someone spills the beans soon – Mr. Ego needs to be shown the proverbial door.

Let’s take a little tour of your favorite American Idol fan site, Idolwire.com.

If you have an RSS Reader how about adding Idolwire.com’s RSS feed to it? That way you can get up to the minute information on any news stories posted to idolwire.com. If you’re unsure of what an RSS reader is let me explain it briefly. An RSS reader is a news feed reader that allows you to retrieve content from a variety of sites including blogs, news sites, etc. Check out Wikipedia’s entry on the topic for a comprehensive description.

Are you a dedicated fan who buys all of the past American Idol contestants’ albums? Perhaps you’re interested in reading a review of the album prior to purchase; idolwire.com can help you. Head on over to the Album Reviews section of the website. Or do you have a favorite album you’d like to review; we’d love to hear from you. Head on over to the idolwire.com forums and share your review. If we like it we’ll publish it and give you credit.

Interested in what I have to say about your favorite American Idol contestant? Our Opinion page is the area for you. I’d love to hear back from you whether you agree or disagree with me. Let’s get a dialogue going, tell me what you think!

American Idol isn’t all about singing; contestants are also involved in charitable causes. With the big announcement this week of “Idol Gives Back” now the producers of American Idol are also involved with charity. Find out how your favorite contestant is helping give back in our Charity section.

There is much more to Idolwire.com; these were just a few of the highlights. As always if you have anything to share sound off in the idolwire.com forums.

The producers of American Idol have really been talking up this big announcement and speculation has run rampant from a wildcard show to more than four eliminations. However the actual announcement is even bigger and better than any speculation I’ve seen. American Idol will be “bringing issues of extreme poverty, both in Africa and the U.S., into the hearts, minds, and homes of us all.” This will all be under the banner of “Idol Gives Back.”

Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell travelled to a poverty-stricken region of Africa as part of this program. When asked about his trip Cowell said “it was something I’ll never ever forget, seeing some of the most appalling conditions I’ve ever seen in my life then we met some of the nicest people I’ve ever met…mixed emotions.” Later this year Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul will travel to Louisiana and the Mississippi basin to address not only poverty but literacy and help those that are still recovering from natural disasters; namely Hurricane Katrina.

On April 24th the final six will be performing an original song written just for this event by Quincy Jones. That night as you vote a donation will be made by Coke, AT&T, and other sponsors for every vote made. In addition Ford Motor Company will also be making a donation with details to follow. On April 25th phone lines will be open for us, the viewers, to make our own contributions to this cause. In addition we will be able to donate via the internet.

This will be a star-studded event with the likes of Gwen Stefani, Borat, Pink, Josh Groban, Michael Buble, Annie Lennox, and even Bono becoming involved. I am so very excited for this, it is about time that American Idol has stepped up to the plate and done something charitable on this level. When April 24th comes everyone better get their dialing fingers ready!

Congratulations to the American Idol season six top twelve contestants.

Melinda Doolittle
Stephanie Edwards
Gina Glocksen
Lakisha Jones
Blake Lewis
Sanjaya Malakar
Chris Richardson
Brandon Rogers
Haley Scarnato
Chris Sligh
Jordin Sparks
Phil Stacy

The four contestants receiving the lowest number of votes and who will be going home were Antonella Barba, Jared Cotter, Sundance Head and Sabrina Sloan. I am surprised that Sabrina Sloan is going home; I think Haley Scarnato is performing at a less than par level and really doesn’t belong in the top twelve. Additionally I don’t think Sanjaya Malakar belongs there either, Jared Cotter has performed much better. Oh well, what do my thoughts matter, right? This is the top twelve and now the real fun begins – we get to see the boys whittled away one by one. *evil laugh*

Back on February 18th I took a guess at who will make the American Idol season six Top 12. Well I didn’t do so hot; I guessed three out of six of the guys (Sanjaya Malakar, Chris Richardson, and Chris Sligh) and four out of six of the girls (Melinda Doolittle, Lakisha Jones, Haley Scarnato, and Jordin Sparks). When I was predicting this it was shortly after the top 24 were announced and I wasn’t sure how everyone was going to do during the televised rounds. Had I known I wouldn’t have predicted Sanjaya or Haley making it but hey 7 out of 12 isn’t that bad?

There are a couple of interesting tidbits in the news right now and I thought I’d share.

Jennifer Hudson, the most successful former American Idol contestant in my opinion, has turned down a $3 million movie role. Yes, that’s right, $3 million. Warner Bros offered her $3 million for a role in an upcoming movie but it would involve Hudson’s character being involved in a nude scene. Hudson turned it down because she considers herself a role model for aspiring young black women. You go girl!

Nigel Lythgoe sounds off on the Rosie O’Donnell claim that American Idol is a racist show calling her “utterly crazy.” O’Donnell made this claim after Antonella Barba was treated differently than Frenchie Davis for similar indiscretions. O’Donnell felt that the show was racist and also discriminated against Davis because of her weight. In a call to Ryan Seacrest’s radio show earlier today Lythgoe said “Without wishing to add to the obvious self-promotion of Ms O’Donnell, I feel as though I must refute her absurd and ridiculous claims that American Idol is racist and/or weightist.” Lythgoe then went on to say “Look at our past contestants, Ruben (Studdard) for instance, Randy Jackson himself… these are not small people!” Thanks for pointing out the obvious Nigel.

The staff at tmz.com is reporting that Joe Francis, the magic behind the Girls Gone Wild series, has offered Antonella Barba $250,000 to be a celebrity host in a future Girls Gone Wild video. Yup, you heard that right – celebrity host! Antonella Barba has officially reached celebrity status. Of course when she was more searched than Britney Spears she was already there but now someone with some authority in the entertainment industry has officially declared that Antonella Barba is a celebrity.

Francis told the TMZ staff “We have reached out to Antonella Barba through her family and are trying to reach her directly in order to offer her a hosting job for one of our upcoming video projects. Just like the American Idol judges, we at Girls Gone Wild are looking for a girl next door, with sexiness, attitude, a carefree spirit and a presence that will command the attention of the Nation.” Well he’s definitely hit the nail on the head with regards to his description of Barba – she is a girl next door (Catholic girl), she’s shown she can be sexy, she definitely has attitude (think back to the hair flip eye roll geared towards Randy Jackson), and she’s obviously carefree if she’s willing to repeatedly get on stage and make a fool of herself with her crackling, off-key and pitchy voice.

So do you think Barba will host the GGW video or do you think she’ll hold out for an offer from Playboy Magazine? My vote goes to the Playboy Magazine deal.

Jennifer Hudson’s successes just keep adding up; she has now signed on with Avon to be the exclusive spokesperson for their Imari fragrance line. The Imari line’s newest scent is Seduction and Hudson will be a part of the large print campaign rollout as well. The Imari line is Avon’s most popular fragrance line and has been a great seller for the past twenty years.

“We are thrilled to partner with Jennifer Hudson at this very exciting time in her career,” said Liz Smith, Executive Vice President, President North America and Global Marketing. “Avon is a company dedicated to empowering women, and we believe that our Avon Representatives and their customers will be truly inspired by Jennifer’s dream-come-true success story.”

“This is an honor for me and very flattering,” said Hudson. “With the success of ‘Dreamgirls’ and now an Oscar, it’s been an incredible few months. And now, to partner with Avon is really a dream come true for me. It’s exciting to be representing the Imari brand, which really embodies confidence and femininity.”

Finally we hear from Frenchie Davis who was removed from American Idol for provocative photos found on the Internet after she was already secured for the televised rounds of AI. Everyone has been wondering why Antonella Barba didn’t share the same fate; even Rosie O’Donnell is sounding off on the topic calling American Idol a racist show. Watch the Rosie O’Donnell video here. Rosie aside I’m more interested in what Frenchie (currently performing on Broadway in the hit musical Rent), herself, has to say on the topic.

“I don’t necessarily think that (it’s racism), but I can certainly look at this and understand why people would draw that conclusion.” Its hard to say whether or not its racism or if American Idol has changed their rules on risqué photographs of contestants but like Frenchie said I understand why people would draw that conclusion. Frenchie still appears to be hurt over the issue (understandably so) and went on to say that while she would like a “public apology” on the matter she feels she is owed more for “the manner in which I was humiliated and the manner in which Antonella was defended and protected by the same people who humiliated me.” I agree 100%. Frenchie Davis was publicly ridiculed for her photographs where Antonella Barba is being supported by her Fantonellas as evidenced by her continuation on the show despite less than ideal vocal performances.

ABCnews.com has a great story – for more information on this topic check it out.

Antonella Barba’s name has already been the topic of discussion at the Playboy Mansion and has already graced the lips of head honcho Hugh Hefner. She’s already showed us that she’s up to snuff as far as her looks and evidently willing to show some skin so I’ve been wondering if she’ll get an offer to pose in Playboy and whether or not she’ll take it. I think it depends on how far she goes in Idol. Naturally if she wins (that *Is* a possibility) she probably won’t pose right away but if she loses will she take that offer? What about her college career – she is a student at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. – I wonder if they have any clauses about losing your student eligibility status if you pose. However this could launch her career since its likely that her voice won’t.

So I decided to snoop around a bit and found a website dedicated to just this topic – getting Antonella Barba a Playboy Magazine spread. The site is aptly named www.antonellabarbaplayboy.com and while it has some of her pictures up it doesn’t have any of the racier ones from the fountain. I wonder how this campaign is going to work – it might just get her that many more votes in American Idol and keep her around a few more weeks. Oh joy.

Elliott Yamin’s self-titled debut album is scheduled to be released on March 20, 2007. Yamin’s album will be released through Hickory Records; a label that is affiliated with Sony ATV Music Publishing. Yamin is signed on as a write with Sony ATV Music Publishing and for this album write he did. He co-wrote the majority of songs on the album and worked with big name producers and writers including Stargate, DJ Lethal, Josh Abraham, Derek Bramble, and Michael Mangini. American Idol fans definitely remember Yamin’s version of Leon Russell’s “A Song For You” that brought Paula Abdul to tears in season five. Lucky for us he also has this song on his self-titled debut album.

When discussing the recording process Yamin had to say this; “Collaborating on the songs with these talented people who’ve been involved in music way longer than me and who share my passion for it has been an incredible experience. I’ve learned so much from them as an artist and as a person. The key to writing is to come from the heart. People relate to real feelings.”

Yamin’s second single “Wait For You” is already getting rave reviews after radio play. You can sample his video courtesy of YouTube or listen to the entire song also at YouTube. I am digging this song, I loved Yamin’s voice during season five and I think this is going to be the first album from an American Idol contestant that I actually buy.