Contributed by britny: Former American Idol contestant Jim Verraros made a big decision after his Idol experience. Jim came out and admitted that he is in fact gay. “It was a big risk, career wise, but I have to be true to myself,” the Chicago native tells People magazine. Verraros says that the fan response and his fellow Idols’ response has been all positive.
‘Canadian Idol’ Won’t Be An ‘American Idol’ Clone
April 15, 2003 - Canadian Idol executive producer John Brunton tells Anika Van Wyk of the Calgary Sun that they won’t be mimicking the successful American Idol team. “The Canadian Idol starts with the credibility of our judges,” Brunton said of singer Sass Jordan and a trio of industry insiders, Farley Flex, Jake Gold and Zack Werner. “We were looking for people who were smart and had a great depth of knowledge of the industry and a good eye for picking talent.”
Simon Cowell Gets Cameo In ‘Scary Movie III’
April 13, 2003 - The Sunday People reports ‘American Idol’ judge Simon Cowell has been ideally cast for cameo role in the spoof horror film ‘Scary Movie III’.
American Idol To Do Billy Joel Theme
April 13, 2003 - Contributed by britny: Idolfans.org has posted that the April 15th episode of American Idol’s theme will be songs by Billy Joel.
Ryan Seacrest On The Frenchie Vs. Nikki Debate
April 12, 2003 - Steppin’ Out magazine put ‘American Idol’ host Ryan Seacrest on the spot regarding Frenchie Davis, and why she was booted from this year’s show while former stripper Nikki McKibbon wasn’t tossed last year for a similar scandal. “If I knew all the information, I could probably answer that question better,” he offered. Further pressed, he says, “I think that the reason that the producers made a change was because they felt the information they had would hurt the rest of the competition. I think Frenchie was one of the most talented people in this group. Trust me, the producers would have done everything they could to have kept her in the competition because it’s only good for the show.” But was race a factor? “I don’t think she would have been treated any differently regardless of her color or size. This woman was a star and one of the most talked-about contestants.”
Fallen ‘Idol’ Corey Clark Speaks Out
April 12, 2003 - Ousted ‘American Idol’ Corey Clark spoke with Access Hollywood about his brush with the law, claiming his exit was an “idol” publicity stunt. “I think it all has to do with ratings,” said Corey. “The very first thing they said before we got into this show was, ‘We’re not looking for superstars, we’re looking to make good TV.'” What did his 15-year-old sister, who Corey allegedly beat up have to say? “We just got in an argument like any brother or sister would.”
Rickey Smith Gets Booted From ‘American Idol’
April 10, 2003 - Rickey Smith was voted off during last night’s episode of ‘American Idol’ after performing the Lionel Richie classic ‘Endless Love’. “America, thank you very much for letting me get this far,” Rickey, 23, said in a pre-recorded farewell. “It was good while it lasted.” Despite unanimous approval from all the judges, viewers voted him off.
