American Idol

It's been a good week for Michael Lynche.

The American Idol contestant was rumored to have been kicked out of this season's top 24 because his father leaked his inclusion of that group prior to the air date (February 17) on which Fox will announce the semifinalists.

But multiple sources now confirm this was a false report and Lynche is still alive in Hollywood.

As if that weren't enough of a reason to celebrate, Michael learned - on TV, at least, the show was taped a couple weeks ago - on Tuesday night that he's a new father! His wife went into labor just as he was taking the stage to (successfully) audition.

Might this string of good fortunate end with an American Idol title?

Quick background information on Lynche:

• He describes himself as a mixture of Gnarls Barkley, Outcast and R. Kelly.
• Both Michael's parents are pastors.
• He played Division I football at the University of Central Florida.

Along with Andrew Garcia and Casey James, Michael has stood out among the men this week.

Watch his initial audition below.

As recounted in our American Idol rundown from last night, we thought Ellen DeGeneres made an outstanding debut as a judge. She was fresh, funny and didn't try to overshadow the contestants.

From most of what we've read online, almost all television critics agree with that assessment.

So we found it odd that Kara DioGuardi spoke to E! News today and defended her new cohort from attacks on her Idol premiere, attacks we weren't aware existed.

"How it's edited and what you see is very different from my experience," Kara said. "I remember just thinking she was very funny and critical and had heart... It's edited in a specific way. It has to be. It has to be about the contestants."

The sentiment is nice, but it's hard for DioGuard not to come across as condescending, considering how many viewers don't like her very much.

Kara added that it was impossible to compare Ellen and the woman in whose seat she occupies.

"Paula and Ellen [are] completely different, and I think they both bring something valuable to the table... It's something that takes time to get used to, and I think [Ellen] did an incredible job for her first time there."

So do we! So do most people we've talked to.

In closing, DioGuardi said "I would love to see a girl win" and, based on one night of Hollywood auditions, she may get see that hope come true. Didi Benami, Crystal Bowersox, Haeley Vaughn and Janell Wheeler all stood out this week.

What did you think of Ellen as a judge?

Thank goodness it's Hollywood week on American Idol. Goodbye embarrassing contestants, hello major talent!

Before we get to that talent, however, let's also greet Ellen DeGeneres... with open arms. Wasn't she great on her first night as a judge? The comedian was funny (we loved when she had singers moving all around the stage before letting each one through), but also fresh and straightforward.

Ellen won't be Paula Abdul 2.0, sugarcoating every critique and covering up bad performances by telling the contestants how nice they look. She'll bring the criticism, but in a humorous fashion, such as when she told one dude his routine "scared" her and resembled a leopard stalking his prey.

There were also no contrived cat fights, nothing that Ellen did to bring attention to herself. She seemed steady, focused and, of course, funny.

As for the best of the night...

Didi Benami has finalist written all over her. She came across as a more polished Brooke White, strumming her guitar and bringing an emotional singer/songwriter vibe. Probably our favorite performance.

But the "infectious, real" Crystal Bowersox, as Simon put it, was a close second. She also relied on her guitar and had fellow contestants applauding before she even completed "Natural Woman."

The third impressive female was Haeley Vaughn. Only 16, she offers a unique pop/country sound and a healthy dose of charisma. We were very happy to see her advance.

Two men stood out, as well:

1. Andrew Garcia proved that guitar-playing was a theme for the top performers so far, impressing the judges with a soulful acousting rendition of "Straight Up." We wouldn't refer to him as "genius" or compare him to Adam Lambert (closer to Kris Allen), as Kara did, but certainly someone to keep an eye on.
2. The same can be said for Casey James, and not just because he took off his shirt for his initial, pre-Hollywood audition. We loved his bluesy number... played with the help of a guitar, of course.

Watch all five of these performances in our American Idol video section and then let us know: WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE?

She was one of thousands when she auditioned for American Idol in Boston, but Siobhan Magnus is one of the few remaining.

The Massachusetts native is rumored to be one of this season's 24 semifinalists, as she'll be featured in Hollywood starting this week.

Not much is known about the 19-year old: she sings lead vocals for the band Lunar Valve; is actually a glass-blowing apprentice and loves horror movies.

Siobhan resides in in Cape Cod.

In the video below, watch Magnus take the stage in a production of "Beauty and the Beast."

On tomorrow night's broadcast, Ellen DeGeneres officially joins the American Idol judging table.

While we're looking forward to this debut, many viewers are already contemplating next season. Still shocked by the news of Simon Cowell's exit, they're left to wonder: who will replace this British icon?

Howard Stern has an idea: himself!

"I can't imagine anyone else but me replacing [Cowell]," Stern said today. "How else are they going to make that show work? Who knows how to broadcast and who knows how to be interesting? And who's not afraid to speak their mind?"

All good questions, but surely there's someone out there that's outspoken and more knowledgeable about music than he is about lesbians or sex toys.

Stern says quite clearly he'd do the show... if the money is right.

"It might be possible, we'll see," he said. "They'd have to pay me a ton of dough, because I already make a ton of dough."

Stern's five-year, $500 million contract with Sirius radio expires at the end of this year. Do you think he'd make a suitable replacement for Simon?

She was only featured for 20 seconds on the American Idol Orlando audition episode.

But those were a gorgeous 20 seconds.

Florida native Janell Wheeler sang "House of the Rising Sun" in front of the judges and impressed them with her vocal range and good looks. We don't mean to be shallow by including the latter, but let's face it: beauty helps.

Wheeler is a sales representative from Tampa. She won Orlando's Got Talent and describes her music as "country, pop, soul, glam, fun."

The 24-year old also says she loves the ocean. Will viewers love her in Hollywood? Check out her audition below and decide for yourself.

When Casey James auditioned for American Idol in Denver, he was asked to remove his shirt. The judges, especially Kara DioGuardi and Victoria Beckham, wanted to take a close look at this contestant.

If only producers had done the same.

Radar Online reports that James has a criminal background and has actually served time in county jail. His offenses include: driving while intoxicated, driving with an invalid license and reckless driving.

In November 2001, the aspiring singer pled guilty to reckless driving, was fined $200 and spent 30 days in jail.

Then, in December 2002, he was arrested for DUI and operating a vehicle with an invalid license. He pled guilty again and was sentenced to 105 total days in jail.

Does this make Casey a bad person? Of course not. But you'd think American Idol would avoid featuring any contestant with a criminal record, even if he does have a body that DioGuardi and Beckham openly swooned over.

James isn't the only rumored semifinalist with a scandalous past. Todrick Hall came under fire a few years ago for possibly scamming a few families out of thousands of dollars.

Should Idol cut James loose? You tell us.

When Lacey Brown auditioned for American Idol last year, she sat next to eventual finalist Megan Joy in the cut room and was told by Randy Jackson that it was the end of the road.

Ha! Shows what Randy knows.

Brown is back on the show, receiving a golden ticket following her latest try out in Orlando. This Texas native wowed the judges with a rendition of "Over the Rainbow" and stands as a rumored season nine semifinalist.

Does Brown deserve to move along in Hollywood? Idol kicks off auditions from there next week, and you can check out Lacey's performance below in order to gauge her chanes on the competition.

Darn you, American Idol!

We work so hard to remain numb during the early audition episodes of this show, as Fox aims to tug at heart strings more than impress viewers with actual vocal talent.

While the singers and their skills will be on full display next week in Hollywood, these editions of the competition are typically reserved for joke acts (see Platt, Larry) and emotional backstories that leave us rolling our eyes like Katy Perry.

But Didi Benami broke down our cynical exteriors last night.

During her audition, the Los Angeles native burst out in tears at the memory of a friend that passed away four years ago. When asked by Kara if she wanted this badly, the beautiful blonde simply lost it.

Fortunately, Didi could also carry a major tune. She impressed judges with a rendition of "Hey Jude" and received unanimous approval for Hollywood. She's also rumored to be a semifinalist.

Benami plays the guitar and attended Belmont University. The Hebrew definition of her real first name (Vered) means "rose."

Watch Didi's audition below and chime in: Were you moved by this singer's performance and her backstory?

Last night, American Idol viewers met a pair of rumored semifinalists: Casey James and Haeley Vaughn.

But while we're excited to hear more from them and other singers, the focus of the show will likely return to the judging table next week. That's because Ellen DeGeneres debuts as a panelist on Tuesday night.

Asked about her co-star by Entertainment Tonight, Ellen recently said: "He's actually meaner than I thought. It's hard to listen to him tell people things and me not to go, 'You poor thing!'"

Despite this critique, and despite rumors that she and Cowell are already fighting, an insider says everything is fine between the pair.

Yes, Simon appeared late at a taping last month, but apologized and DeGeneres "accepted it right away and was fine," says the source.

So, can Ellen offer any spoilers about which contestants make it far in Hollywood? No, but she does tease: "We have a wide variety [of talent]... somebody for everybody, I hope."

She's already getting good at this marketing game. Are you excited for her to take part on the show?