Lauren Visits Kids Spending Christmas in Hospital
It’s never a positive experience when a child has to be hospitalized, particularly during the Christmas holidays, but patients at Children’s Hospital at Erlanger were in a for a real treat when they received a visit from “American Idol” runner-up, Lauren Alaina, Thursday.
See the photo at NewsChannel9
Jordin Sparks and Minka Kelly welcome home forces from Iraq
Jordin Sparks and actress Minka Kelly have paid tribute to the Armed Forces by welcoming home the last combat soldiers from Iraq in a special ceremony on Tuesday (20Dec11).
The two stars have become fast friends over the past few days after completing a whirlwind tour of Army bases in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan to meet and greet American troops for the holidays.
They landed back home this week (begs19Dec11), and on Tuesday headed straight to the Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to celebrate the return of the last of the soldiers from the War in Iraq.
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were also in attendance.
Read more at Young Hollywood
End of My Kind of Christmas Tour
David Archuleta reports from the end of his Christmas tour
OFFSTAGE: Carrie Underwood’s Mom Is a Blabbermouth
That’s what Carrie Underwood says. She always knows exactly what she is getting for Christmas because her mom isn’t all that good at keeping secrets from her daughter. “One thing you learn in my family is that my mother is a blabbermouth,” she said in a recent radio interview. “And ever since I was little, I have known every single Christmas present I have ever gotten — ever. I’m not one for surprises!
Read more at CMT
‘X Factor’s’ Melanie Amaro on her Duet with R. Kelly, Last-Minute Finale Changes
And to think Simon Cowell came thisclose to making his last remaining team member sing Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin.” Amaro explained how the song switch decision came about: “[‘Listen’] was a last-minute change. We felt as though we needed to do something more. And I really needed a song that would describe my journey getting here. So Simon was, like, ‘We should really blow them away,’ and he never told me what he was talking about. And then he said to me, it’s ‘Listen,’ and I was cried, I was so happy.”
Read more at the Hollywood Reporter
X Factor’s Astro on ‘Getting to Rihanna’s Level or Higher,’ the Aggravation of Being Seen as Cocky
Let’s get one thing straight: The X Factor‘s pint-sized rapper Astro wants you to know he’s confident, not cocky. TVLine caught up with the 14-year-old contestant to get the low-down on how he writes lyrics, why he refused to participate in Boot Camp choreography, and what it’s like to perform 10 feet in front of Rihanna.
Read more at TV Line
‘X-Factor’ Fails to Live Up to Its High Expectations
As it heads for its climax, the news for Fox’s “X-Factor” looks well short of x-cellent.
The series hits its finale Thursday night, and the lack of momentum detected in previous weeks has become impossible to ignore — though Fox executives will doubtless continue to point to how much the show has improved the network’s overall ratings this fall.
That continues to be true, but for a show that started out with expectations that it might be a phenomenon (as evidenced by what Fox charged advertisers for it, one of the highest prices in television) it is ending with a decided sense of ho-hum, even from early fans of the show.
Read more at the NY Times
Nikki Reed & Paul McDonald’s Romantic Stroll
Enjoying some much-deserved downtime together, Nikki Reed and Paul McDonald were spotted out for a walk in Los Angeles yesterday (December 21).
The “Twilight Saga: New Moon” hottie and her handsome husband treated their adorable pooch pals to some exercise and fresh air as the paparazzi looked on.
See the photos at Gossip Center
‘X Factor,’ ‘Idol,’ ‘Biggest Loser’ lead in product placement
The industry numbers cruncher also rates the “top 10 prime-time programs with product placement.” Most of those shows — “American Idol,” “The Biggest Loser,” “The X Factor” and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” — have multi-year, multimillion-dollar deals in place that include star treatment for sponsor brands.
For instance, AT&T handles voting and gets major national exposure during “Dancing With the Stars,” and Cover Girl has been woven into the CW’s “America’s Next Top Model” for years. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola and Ford are as much in the spotlight on “American Idol” as judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, and Pepsi is front and center on Simon Cowell’s new-this-fall singing contest, “The X Factor.” (The latter deal, worth a reported $60 million, includes a role in a Pepsi Super Bowl commercial for the first season winner).
Read more at LA Times
‘X Factor’ Director Brian Friedman Defends Zombie Dancers, Big Productions
“The X Factor” has come under fire this season for its campy numbers and bombastic productions–“zombie dancers,” “brides of Dracula,” and crazy staging that often involves cages and pyro–but the show’s director and choreographer, Brian Friedman, defended such spectacles when he talked to the press on Wednesday after the top three performed.
Watch the Video at Yahoo Music
Simon Cowell ‘wants Cat Deeley to replace Steve Jones on X Factor USA’
Simon Cowell reportedly wants Cat Deeley to replace Steve Jones as the host of X Factor USA.
Deeley, who presents Fox dance series So You Think You Can Dance, is being lined up as a replacement for the Welsh TV personality, reports the Daily Star.
Read more at Digital Spy
