This week's American Idol only starts tonight, thanks to Fox covering yet another press conference President Obama has called.   It's been the second time this year, and while I understand the need for the media to cover what the government is saying, with all the economic issues and everything else, I find it slightly funny that the show's been slightly derailed by these press conferences.

And it's somewhat funnier to hear that show judge Simon Cowell hopes to have the president himself appear on an episode of Idol.  “We're trying to get him to do a show at the moment,” he said in a phone interview with a British radio station.  “I did get a name check from him tonight.  He was on The Tonight Show talking about how everyone in Washington is a critic and then he said: ‘Unfortunately they're all like Simon Cowell.'  I'm not sure if it's a compliment or not.”  (You can hear the full interview by clicking here.)

Cowell, who spends the year judging both American Idol and the British talent search The X Factor, also said he is still amazed at how far this show has gone.  “We pinch ourselves every year when we're back for another season because when we first came over here seven or eight years ago, we genuinely thought we'd be on air for a couple of weeks, they'll kick us off and throw us out the country and that would be the end of it,” he said.  “[This season is] one of my favorite [seasons] we've done in a long time—interesting people, some talent, so I think it's going to be good this year.”

Speaking of this season, there are reports that former Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson would perform in one of the coming result shows.  (I'll digress for a bit: I knew it!)   However, it won't be live like, say, Ruben Studdard's performance tomorrow night marking Motown week.  Rather, Hudson will tape a performance in front of the studio audience tomorrow, right after the live broadcast.  This is according to a person involved in the show, who declined to reveal his identity since he isn't authorized to speak to the media about it.

Hudson, who has just began making public appearances after the brutal murders of her mother, brother and nephew last year, is expected to sing a track from her Grammy-winning eponymous debut album.




-Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Sources: AP, Absolute Radio (via Digital Spy)
(Images courtesy of PR Photos and Time)