Kara DioGuardi
Gossip

On American Idol, Paula Abdul is out and Ellen DeGeneres is in.

On America's Top Talent, meanwhile, an even more controversial switch has taken place: Kara DioGuardi has been replaced by Miley Cyrus!

Just for one episode of the latter's TV show, that is.

DioGuardi guest stars on the October 18 episode of Hannah Montana, as the title character fills in for her (alongside judges Andy and Byron) on the aforementioned made-up competition.

Hannah's experience as a guest judge gets complicated, though, when Oliver auditions and does a great job. Below, Cyrus and DioGuardi interact in a scene:

Look at that: we just wrote an entire article about Miley without mentioning her typically grating, self-serving, pompous behavior. Aren't you proud of us? We knew we could do it!

Check out three more shots of DioGuardi guest-starring on Hannah Montana below:

Some highly-respected, hilarious, attractive celebrity gossip websites aren't sure if Ellen DeGeneres is the best choice for an American Idol judge.

But last year's new addition to the show, Kara DioGuardi, is not among the skeptics. She had nothing but glowing praise for Ellen when asked about her at an Emmy Award after-party.

"I think it's a genius decision," DioGuardi told People. "I wish I had thought of it... I would say she would probably be somebody who would be fair in her criticism and will try to be as supportive as she possibly could. I think it's going to be a lot of fun." 

As for Ellen, she's aware of the criticism her selection has been met with. Regarding the type of judge she'll be, DeGeneres said:

"I will be kind. I will be compassionate. I will be empathetic, and I will be truthful. I will be an honest judge without being mean."

We'll find out in January what that translates into. For now, be sure to listen to the first single from last year's winner, Kris Allen!

When Kara DioGuardi was hired as a fourth judge last season on American Idol, critics believed it was a maneuver meant to prepare the show for Paula Abdul's departure.

That departure took place this week, but DioGuardi is in shock over it.

"I can't get over it. I'm completely shocked," she said on Ryan Seacrest's radio show today. "It's such a loss for the show, such a loss for the contestants. She's definitely the heart of the panel."

What, precisely, will Kara miss about her friend?

"The kind of heart she treated the contestants with she treated me with last year," she said. "She was so kind to me and made me feel immediately like part of the panel."

DioGuardi also made it clear that her addition to American Idol had nothing to do with Abdul's future.

"The way I'm understanding it is that it was her choice to leave. I never was here to replace her. It would be impossible to replace Paula Abdul. She's an incredible talent. She is somebody who helped make the show as big as it is. How could you ever replace that?"

Well, Victoria Beckham and Katy Perry will try. Each has been hired as a guest judge on season nine.

Fans are split on whether or not Kara DioGuardi's return to American Idol is a good thing.

But show executives are reacting to the news like the judge is the second coming of Simon Cowell. Here's what Fox president of alternative programming, Mike Darnell, said of DioGuardi:

“Kara’s spitfire personality and sharp musical sensibility infused American Idol with a new energy last year. She clearly has a keen eye for talent - spotting Adam Lambert’s superstar quality early on last season - and her performance on the season 8 finale was one of the most memorable in recent Idol history.”

Darnell forgot to mention that Kara has to lighten the heck up. She isn't actually God's gift to music.

Said American Idol producer Simon Fuller:

"We are so happy to welcome back Kara for her second season with Idol. She is a breath of fresh air and her passion for music and her understanding of talent is invaluable. This show is all about discovering new talent, and Kara’s championing of Adam Lambert is proof positive of her great instinct.”

Earlier this summer, DioGuardi got married to Mike McCuddy.

A former American Idol contestant clams the show is rigged.

We cannot confirm or deny this accusation, but we can report the following series-related news:

Kara DioGuardi is coming back to the judges' table.

Following weeks of rumors and questions about her status, a source told E! News that DioGuardi is on board for season nine.

"Her deal is done. There are no ifs, ands or buts," the insider said. "Done. She will be back."

Does the return of DioGuardi make you happy or sad?

Perhaps a look back at her most memorable, bare-skinned moment on American Idol last season will sway your opinion in one direction or the other...

In April, Kara DioGuardi came clean about her struggle with body image.

But the American Idol just has found someone that loves her just the way she is: DioGuardi married longtime boyfriend Mike McCuddy in Prospect Harbor, Maine yesterday.

"They are absolutely in love with each other," said Pastor Scott Nurse, who officiated the ceremony. "When I told him he could kiss the bride, everybody cheered. It was a very close, small family-type service."

Mike McCuddy will now be judged on lovemaking and table-setting techniques for the rest of his life.

Earlier this week, we asked readers if they thought Adam Lambert should officially come out of the closet.

A majority of respondents so far have said no, Lambert doesn't owe it to anyone to announce that he's gay.

Based on her appearance on this morning's edition of The View, it sounds like Kara DioGuardi would reply similarly, but for a different reason: everyone already knows Adam is gay!

"I don't think that Adam was ever in [the closet]," the American Idol judge said. "I think he was always openly out."

That's not entirely true, of course. Lambert has never been ashamed to act in a certain matter (nor should he be), but he's gone out of his way to beat around the homosexual bush each time a reporter has broached the topic of his sexuality.

Asked by Barbara Walters whether the perception of being gay negatively affected Lambert's finish on the show, DioGuardi said:

"I hope not...  because we should be judging on talent and viability in the music industry and they both [Lambert and winner Kris Allen] had that."

Do you agree? Do you think Lambert's sexual orientation cost him the American Idol crown?

We weren't huge fans of Kara DioGuardi as the fourth American Idol judge this season.

Too often, the songwriter came across as overly serious and/or pompous.

Still, in DioGuardi's feud with former contestant Katrina Darrell, it's impossible not to take Kara's side.

This rivalry appeared to be dead following Wednesday night's unexpected duet between the pair, as they sung together on stage and even bared their bikini bodies together on stage.

Are you on Team Kara or Team Katrina?

However, sensing an opportunity to tack on a new 15 minutes of fame to her resume, Darrell called out DioGuardi in a new interview with Radar Online.

"I don't think she got the reaction she was hoping for. I think she probably thought I would cry or get mad, and I didn't - I played it off," Darrell said. "Looking back at the tape, she just made herself look stupid. She didn't make me look stupid."

Darrell says she had no idea Kara would join her on stage, a claim we find highly dubious.

Did Katrina really think she had earned her own performance on the finale?!?

We were surprised that Kris Allen won American Idol.

Still, that wasn't the most unexpected thing to take place on the stage of the Nokia Theatre last night.

As part of the two-hour finale, Kara DioGuardi sang a duet with former nemesis Katrina Darrell! (Remember her? Darrell earned the nickname "Bikini Girl" during the initial rounds of Idol auditions for donning a swimsuit while she sang for the judges.)

Moreover, at the end of their "Vision of Love" rendition, DioGuardi flashed her own bikini body for the world to see.

We strongly recommend watching the duet, if only for Randy Jackson's priceless reaction when Darrell comes out on stage, clearly enhanced in one area of her body.

Compare Kara and Katrina below and then answer our poll question:

Who has the better bikini body?

We actually wouldn't mind seeing Kara DioGuardi nude.

Sorry, did we write that out loud?

The thought occurred to us because the American Idol judge is the latest pseudo celebrity to appear in an ad for PETA. Unlike most other animal-loving stars (from Audrina Patridge to Holly Madison), however, DioGuardi is fully clothed on her poster.

She's also advocating a far simpler cause than vegetarianism or anti-fur wearing: be nice to your dog.

Kara DioGuardi loves dogs almost as much as everyone hates the song she co-wrote for this season's American Idol champion.