The stars of Fox’s “American Idol” expect great things from new judge Ellen DeGeneres , but they are all saying something different about her addition to the judging panel of Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, and her replacement of songstress Paula Abdul.

Host Ryan Seacrest told Fox News at the Primetime Emmy awards on Sunday that DeGeneres, a comedian with her own daytime chat show, is a “superstar.”

“She will change the sexual tension,” Seacrest said of DeGeneres, who is lesbian and last year married longtime girlfriend and actress Portia de Rossi in California, before voters in the state banned same-sex weddings during the November 2008 election.

“Simon and Paula had a specific kind of tension, but this will be quite different…” Seacrest told Fox.

DioGuardi, who only joined the show this past season, told People magazine at an Emmy after-party that “Idol” producers’ recruitment of DeGeneres was a “genius decision,” and that she wishes she had thought of it herself.

One of the most pointed comments about DeGeneres’ addition came from director Bruce Gowers, who won an Emmy for his role with “American Idol.”

“I think there will be a lot more fun on the show than there was before,” Gowers told reporters backstage.

“I think we’re going to get even higher ratings,” he said.

But Gowers backtracked when asked if he meant the show suffered with Abdul in the judge’s chair, saying that was not the case.

Despite drawing more viewers than any other show on television, “American Idol” did not win its first Emmy until 2007, which was six years into the show’s lifespan, and even that was for the relatively unexciting category of best technical direction.

 Will next season’s arrival of DeGeneres, a highly respected figure in Hollywood, change things and get the show more respect from Emmy voters?

“American Idol” producers moved swiftly to replace Paula Abdul with comedian and TV chat show host Ellen DeGeneres  as the new judge on the show which starts again in January.

But is Ellen the right fit for the show?

Fans are split and even media watchers were stunned by the move, which serves the dual function of closing the door permanently on Paula, and making the show talked about all over again after a summer of shock announcements.

For a TV show that’s primarily about finding America’s next instant pop star — and one which is ultimately chosen by the public — there’s been a lot of hoo-hah this year about the judging panel, whether its Kara DioGuardi’s return, Simon Cowell’s future, Ryan Seacrest’s lucrative new contract or Abdul’s ultimately failed contract manoevres.

So what do you think is ultimately the most important and/or entertaining part of “Idol” — the contestants, or the chemistry on the judging panel?

And how will Ellen fit in, and will her presence on the “Idol” panel make you more or less likely to watch next year when the show has finished tossing out all the thousands of hopeless singers and gets down to the Top 20?

The Fox TV network and the producers of “American Idol” are scrambling to find a replacement for Paula Abdul . The network has talked about British celebrity Victoria Beckham and pop star Katy Perry as guest judges. But can anyone fill in for the “Straight Up” singer and former Laker Girl on a permanent basis?

As Time magazine critic James Poniewozik told Reuters, “The reason that people sometimes make fun of Paula is the reason that people watch Paula.”

Abdul has racked up a litany of “weirdest moments,” and Fan Fare mentioned a few in a blog post here.

“She’ll be remembered mostly for her crazy talk on the judges’ panel,” Poniewozik said. “Just weird, kind of hazy and tactically un-diagrammable sentences. Sometimes she refuses to criticize singers when they clearly need it.”

And yet, Abdul has been widely viewed as an important part of the top-rated “Idol” formula for success. Simon Cowell, the alpha judge on the reality singing contest, said last month that he had “made it clear” that he wanted Abdul back on the show. Abdul and Cowell sat side-by-side on the panel, and their interactions often devolved into silly, love-hate taunts and tussles that got the audience laughing or howling.

Abdul may have been the most erratic judge on “Idol,” but critics often say she was more interesting to watch than co-panelists Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson. It remains to be seen if the “Idol” producers will even look for a permanent replacement, or if they will return to having three judges, as they always did until this season when they added DioGuardi.

The four-judge format was unpopular with many critics. As a commentator for news outlet MSNBC wrote earlier this year, “For a show already chock-full of filler, increasing the blather seems like a no-win situation.”

What do you think? Can Abdul be replaced? And if not, should Fox go back to three judges or try to get her back somehow?

Only “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul could break out a box of crayons, hand them to fellow panelist Simon Cowell and say, “Here you are 6-year-old. Oh, that’s an insult to 6-year-olds.” Cowell reacted by drawing on her.

Chalk up that episode from this past season to the long list of oddball moments that Abdul brought to “Idol.” With her announced departure from the program, Abdul will leave the show without its resident eccentric, a personality who has often gotten fans talking with her funny behavior.

There was the time last year that she critiqued contestant Jason Castro for two songs, when he had only sung one. She also once said, “Constructive criticism is about finding something good and positive to soften the blow to the real critique of what really went on.”

Uh, what?

She also handed out to contestants her custom-designed jewelry, and no one wore the baubles prouder than this year’s contestant Tatiana del Toro. The following are a couple more of Abdul’s “best of” moments on “Idol.”

Are “American Idol” producers really going to dump Paula Abdul after all these years?

Or is the emotional judge (or her representatives) just playing mind-games at this late stage in a bid to get a better offer for the next few years after Ryan Seacrest upped the stakes by securing a new three-year deal reputed to be worth around $15 million a year?

And with a little over two weeks to go before auditions start in front of the panel for that golden ticket to Hollywood, the official silence around the future of newcomer Kara DioGuardi has been stunning.

Paula might be the most unpredictable, some might say wacky, member of the judging panel but would the show be the same without what one fan this week called her “rainbows and colors”?

Despite his reputation as “Mr. Nasty”, fans have made clear that they would think twice about watching if Simon Cowell were to quit the show. But would they feel the same about Paula going?

Maybe “Idol” producers should allow Americans to vote and decide whether to put Paula, or Kara, in the bottom three. Who do you think would end up being sent home?

They went head-to-head in the final showdown of “American Idol” on Tuesday night, but if any animosity exists between finalists Adam Lambert and Kris Allen, it was not apparent when they spoke to reporters backstage after the show.

The only moment of friction, and it was all a joke, came when Lambert, the taller contestant between the two, lowered the microphone for the shorter Allen after the two stepped onto a speakers’ podium. Allen laughed at the gesture.

Allen summed up his and Lambert’s attitudes when he was asked how he was handling the hype surrounding the finale.

“I think both of us are kind of chill guys, so we can totally deal with it,” Allen said.

The two finalists had been roommates until recently, and as a joke question a reporter asked which contestant looks better naked.

“We don’t get naked together, sorry,” Lambert said, to laughter from reporters.

As for the singing, the stuff that really matters in the competition, Lambert said that he found symbolism in the songs he performed on Tuesday, which included “Mad World” by Tears for Fears and “Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke. 

“I think ‘Mad World’ is kind of symbolic, it talks about people that don’t feel like they fit in,” Lambert said.

“I think ‘Change is Gonna Come’ is also symbolic in that anyone who feels oppressed can relate to that song. It’s been a civil rights anthem for a long time, and there’s all sorts of new civil rights issues that are coming up right now,” he said.

When it came to praise from the judges, Lambert and his falsetto stylings seemed to edge out Allen, his more homespun competitor from Conway, Arkansas, in their final competition on Tuesday.

While alpha judge Simon Cowell called the first round of the competition for Allen, assailing Lambert’s first performance as too theatrical and comparing it to “The Phantom of the Opera,” Cowell’s criticism of the Allen’s second song, “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye, was notably harsh for a season finale.

“If I’m being honest with you, it was like three friends in their bedroom strumming along to Marvin Gaye,” Cowell said.

Judge Paula Abdul, appearing at the backstage news conference, provided the sunny view of the competition that she is known for, sidestepping a question about who she thought would win. Then Abdul was asked if all the judges will be back next year, an important question because Abdul’s own contract expires this season.

“Tune in,” Abdul said, as a handler dragged her away from the microphone.

Photo credit: Fox/Michael Becker

“American Idol” on Tuesday entered the last week of competition before the finale, and we at “Fan Fare” had the good fortune to land second-row seats in the talent show’s live studio audience. (For the record, this twist of fate had nothing to do with our coverage of the show — it was good old-fashioned standing in line combined with almost two years of being on a waiting list.)

Watching “Idol” in its natural habitat revealed dozens of quirks imperceptible to the 25 million or so viewers who tune in at home. First off, the studio was smaller than expected — even more intimate than watching a live show in a theater. One audience member in our row even remarked that it was smaller than her college lecture hall.

Also, the judges seemed to spend more time out of their seats than in them. Accompanied by massive bodyguards, they walked backstage at every commercial break, rushing back to their seats sometimes with two seconds to spare. Judge Paula Abdul at least spent some time greeting celebrity audience members such as Kim and Kourtney Kardashian and their mom, Kris Jenner, as well as “The Hills” star Audrina Partridge.

Many in the mostly young, female audience also appeared to be partial to one contestant — supposed dark horse Kris Allen. There were more Kris-themed homemade signs (”Krazy 4 Kris”, for instance) being waved than those for either of the other contestants. And, one young fan was overheard after the show gloating that she had waved to Allen — and that he had smiled back!

So is “Idol”’s resident pretty boy Kris really a dark horse after all? His acoustic performance of Kanye West’s “Heartless” received universal praise from the judges, with Randy Jackson deeming it “better than the original.” His first song, “Apologize,” however, was less well-received.

But Allen rival Danny Gokey’s performances were by no means stellar, getting similar mixed reviews from the judges. They loved his version of “You Are So Beautiful” but were less enthused by his take on Terence Trent D’Arby’s “Dance Little Sister,” for which he was criticized for his dancing.

Golden child Adam Lambert, predictably, got rave reviews for both of his performances. Judge Simon Cowell, however, warned “Idol” viewers not to assume that Lambert would sail through to next week’s finale and reminded them that they needed to vote.

So who will be sent packing tomorrow night? Host Ryan Seacrest, toward the end of the show, made a point of saying that he had no idea what would happen on Wednesday night.

Is Lambert really the juggernaut he has been made out to be, and does Allen have a stronger wind at his back than many expected? Gokey is the only contestant never to be placed among the show’s bottom three vote-getters — but has he finally run out of steam?

“American Idol” judge Paula Abdul on Thursday slammed a magazine report that she suffered a dependency on painkillers, saying that her statements were taken out of context.

The report posted on the Web site of Ladies’ Home Journal earlier this week described Abdul as having overcome a painkiller habit that began years ago when she was wracked with pain from various injuries. The magazine said that Abdul, to overcome her habit, checked into the La Costa Resort & Spa in California last Thanksgiving to wean herself off painkillers.

But in an interview on Thursday with Detroit radio station WKQI, Abdul disputed that.

“It was very stressful for me to hear that and to be quoted saying something I’ve never said,” Abdul told the radio station. ”I’ve never checked into a rehab clinic, I’ve never been addicted or abused drugs and I’ve never been addicted or abused alcohol. I’ve never been drunk in my life.”

But Abdul did not dispute everything in the magazine article. One of the radio hosts asked about a quote in the Ladies’ Home Journal article in which Abdul, after the description of her checking into the spa, said that she suffered freezing cold, chattering teeth and excruciating pain. “That actually is true,” Abdul told the radio station, without elaborating.

In the magazine article, Abdul was quoted as saying she suffered from “withdrawal” at the time. 

But Abdul said that she simply checked into the spa to relax, and that it is not a rehab center.

Later, one of the radio hosts asked: “So you sure you ain’t never been on those drugs?”

“We’re not going to go there,” Abdul said.

So the story remains unclear. When the Ladies’ Home Journal article appeared online this week, it came after years of media speculation about whether painkillers contributed to Abdul’s sometimes bizarre behavior on “American Idol” and in television interviews, but the 1980s pop star had repeatedly denied any addiction to painkillers. She has, however, openly described the pain and medical problems she has suffered.

Patrick Taylor, a spokesman for Ladies’ Home Journal, said the magazine stands by the article.

Meanwhile, Abdul spoke about her singing and dancing on “Idol” on Wednesday night in the interview with WKQI. It was her first ever performance on the “Idol” stage. The radio station asked her what sharp-tongued alpha judge Simon Cowell had to say about the performance.

“He stood up for me gave me an ovation and a big wet kiss,” Abdul said.

With Allison Iraheta getting the boot on Wednesday night, three white men will duke it out for the “American Idol” crown for the first time in the show’s history.

Iraheta’s offing couldn’t have come as a huge surprise to the show’s viewers, who saw her land among the show’s lowest vote-getters three previous times this season. In that sense, she was no Chris Daughtry, whose shocking fourth place finish three years ago was replayed on Wednesday night’s show before his band performed its new single, the appropriately titled “No Surprise.” 

The 17 year-old Iraheta’s distinctive rock voice has been compared to that of “Idol” winner and pop superstar Kelly Clarkson, which is saying a lot because Clarkson has been on a tear ever since she graduated from the show in 2002, and in March she netted her second No. 1 album.

“Allison Iraheta, who has so much to be proud of, who is a role model to a lot of girls out there,” host Ryan Seacrest said immediately following the Los Angeles-born singer’s final performance.

Yet, if Iraheta was an inspiration to the young girls who make up such a large portion of “Idol” viewers, why didn’t she have the staying power of say, Clarkson, or other female “Idol” winners Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks and Fantasia Barrino?

And, what is it about this season’s final three contestants — Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey and Kris Allen, that led to the formation of the first ever “Idol” boys’ club?

In contrast to last week on “American Idol” when it seemed the contestants could do no wrong, the judges found plenty of stones to throw at the Top 4 on Rock Week. Except for Adam Lambert, who as usual thrilled the panelists.

Lambert, coming off his shocking first trip to the Bottom Three last week, sang British supergroup Led Zeppelin’s hit “Whole Lotta Love” and struck all the high notes, jerking his head to the side in rhythm with the band and glowering with an expression Elvis Presley might have worn if he was fused with John Travolta. The judges loved it. 

“You are a rock god,” said judge Kara DioGuardi, who was wearing a studded leather jacket that looked a lot like Lambert’s own outfit.

Even alpha judge Simon Cowell was impressed. “No one can top that now,” Cowell told the contestant nicknamed “Glambert,” who on Tuesday night sported his usual eyeliner.

But after Lambert wowed everyone, the rest of the contestants all ran into some criticism. Former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash was the night’s guest mentor, and told the camera that 17-year-old contestant Allison Iraheta had a natural rock style, but had to get past her “fear.” 

Iraheta went on to earn mixed reviews from all the judges, except the easily swayed Paula Abdul, with her version of “Cry Baby” from the late Janis Joplin. Cowell and a couple other panelists faulted her for poor song choice, which prompted an interesting exchange when Iraheta explained why she picked the song and was interrupted by Cowell. “Allison, at this point just beg,” he said. “Beg.”

“I’m not,” Iraheta said. “And you always say that I don’t talk enough, so maybe I should just talk a lot.”