American Idol

Fox remains silent on the issue, but Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton has spoken out and confirmed what's been rumored for weeks:

Steven Tyler has signed on as a new judge on American Idol.

"The ink is dry on that," Hamilton told The Newark Star-Ledger this week. "Steven is someone who absolutely lives to be in front of an audience, and the people closest to him know how witty and entertaining he can be.... it is an opportunity for millions of people to see another side of Steven Tyler."

With auditions scheduled to begin next month, and season 10 set to air in January, American Idol still must answer the following questions:

• Will Kara DioGuardi remain on the show?
• Will there be three or four judges?
• Have diva-like demands really disqualified Jennifer Lopez as a candidate?
• Can a cap be placed on how many times Randy Jackson can say the word "pitchy" per show?
• Will the competition make a major change from last season and find a large group of interesting contestants?

TV Fanatic will keep readers apprised of all these developments and more.

Simon Cowell's departure from American Idol was apparently just the beginning: The hit show's panel will reportedly look markedly different come January 2011.

DeGeneres confirmed in a statement that she informed Fox she would not be returning for Season 10 and that the reality hit "didn’t feel like the right fit for me.”

"It was a difficult decision, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for ... I loved the experience working on Idol, am very grateful for the year I had.”

Her tenure on the program lasted just one season.

Creator Simon Fuller said he “loved Ellen’s passion for the artists" and that "she brought honesty and optimism to our judging panel and I will miss her greatly."

Get ready for a much different American Idol panel.

Here's where it gets crazier: Reports say Kara DioGuardi has also been let go by American Idol, leaving Randy Jackson as the last man standing in a major overhaul.

The show will reportedly be going back to the three-judge panel of years past, with Jackson and a couple of big-name newcomers: Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.

This comes amid rumors of everybody from Harry Connick, Jr., to Bret Michaels, Chris Isaak and even Jessica Simpson negotiating for judging spots in recent weeks.

Looks like J. Lo and the Aerosmith frontman won out. Kara could be asked back if the Lopez deal fell apart, but sources claim it is already a done deal. Wild stuff.

Assuming this is true, what do you think of the new American Idol panel? Is it a much-needed reboot or a desperate gimmick? Comment and discuss.

Lee DeWyze was crowned champion, but that was far from all that went down on American Idol last night.

Paula Abdul returned. Simon Cowell said goodbye. Christina Aguilera and Janet Jackson, among other major acts, performed.

And Bret Michaels shocked the world by coming virtually straight from the hospital to sing a duet with Casey James.

It was a fun night all around, even if the less talented singer (you know it's true!) walked away with the title. Relive various momentn below, via this TV Fanatic montage from the evening:

Paula Abdul returned. Simon Cowell was given a send-off by a slew of past finalists. And Janet Jackson performed.

But the American Idol finale belonged to Lee DeWyze. He was crowned the ninth-ever champion off the show, knocking off Crystal Bowersox on the finale.

Did he deserve the title?

Upon hearing his name uttered by Ryan Seacrest, Lee was clearly moved. Tearing up, he said he loved Crystal and could not even put into words what it felt like to be the winner.

He then sang the cover of "Beautiful Day" that will soon be heard across your radio dial. Below, relive Lee's journey on the show and send in your congratulations to the singer!

We hate to simply quote Simon Cowell, but his reaction to Crystal Bowersox's take on "Up to the Mountain" last night says it all:

"I thought that was, by far, the best performance and the song of the night. That was outstanding."

It really was. While we fear viewers will reward Lee for covering a more contemporary hit, his hoarse singing voice simply didn't come across well on U2's "Beautiful Day." Crystal, however, nailed a lesser-known Patty Griffin single and is a deserving season nine champion.

Bowersox also left her comfort zone for Alannah Myles' "Black Velvet." Not only did she put her guitar down, she wore a dress! That should almost be enough to garner her the title by itself.

Seriously, though, Crystal has been the most consistent performer all season long. Can you remember any legitimate off weeks from her? Granted, some may see her attitude as condscending, but we see it as refreshing.

This is someone that never watched a single episode of American Idol before this year. She didn't cater to the judges or the format at any point. She simply relied on a unique sound and gorgeous voice.

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Simon Cowell thinks Lee DeWyze will win American Idol.

On Ellen this week, he told the show's host (and fellow judge) that his mind has changed on the likely season nine champion:

“If you’d asked me five or six weeks ago, 100 percent I would have said Crystal. But now I’ve changed my mind. I think Lee is going to win... He’s worked in a paint shop. He’s talented. He hasn’t had any real breaks in life, and this has given him a shot, and I like that.”

So that's Simon's opinion. What's yours?

Will Crystal, the reserved, reluctant finalist break the run of male winners on the show? Or will Lee go from likable underdog to deserving champion? We'll know for certain on Wednesday night.

For now, you tell us: Who will win American Idol?

Almost everyone agrees that it's been a boring season of American Idol, but the upcoming season finale should at least offer some intrigue.

Following last night's elimination of Casey James (humble as always, the singer said:"I'm so thankful for the opportunity. It's been an amazing journey and I'm just so honored that I'm here."), we're down to Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox.

And can anyone say they know who will win?

Crystal has been considered the favorite ever since Idol chopped its number of contestants down to 24. But Lee has come on very strong over the last few weeks. Fans are still buzzing over his rendition of "Hallelujah."

It's one of the more wide open finals in show history, which will hopefully at least lead to exciting television. Who do you want to win?

As for the professional performances from last night's results episode: our ears are still ringing after hearing Justin Bieber fans scream over their man... errr, boy. And we also weren't that impressed with new solo artist Travis Garland.

Were you?

Kara may still crush on him, but we can only hope America's love affair with Casey James come to an end this evening.

The singer is perfectly nice and not untalented, yet anyone that watched last night's American Idol performance show must admit: he's not in the same league as Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox.

The trio of crooners sang two singles each, one chosen themselves and one by the judges. Both of Casey's renditions were the worst of the night, from an underwhelming "OK, It's Alright With Me" to a rendition of "Daughters" that was made interesting by a guitar solo, not James' actual voice.

DeWyze, conversely, received universal praise for "Hallelujah." It's been heard a million times before on Idol, but that didn't stop Kara from dubbing Lee as "the heart of the show" after he performed the classic.

And that's what it may come down to next week, assuming Lee and Crystal make the finals.

DeWyze connects with the audience as well as anyone in years, while Bowersox can often come across as condescending, like she's too good for American Idol. But she can definitely sing, as Simon seemed almost shocked last the notes she hit on "Maybe I'm Amazed."

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American Idol really can't do anything right on season nine.

Universally considered the most boring season in show history, the competition even screwed up last night's results show.

Why announce that Casey James was the first contestant safe? Anyone that watched Tuesday's performances had to know that Michael Lynche would therefore be sent home, no matter how much Idol wanted to tease us that Crystal Bowersox might actually be eliminated.

We weren't buying it, and the subsequent announcement from Ryan that Big Mike was, indeed, voted off was utterly void of suspense.

Upon his elimination, with his crying wife looking on and holding their baby daughter, Michael referenced the judges' save from a few weeks ago and said:

"It's been unbelievable. I sit here right now and think, 'I wasn't even supposed to be here.' Thank God for the judges saving me."

We wish Big Mike the best of luck. He seems like a genuinely nice guy.. and we'd be afraid to say anything else anyway. Look at that dude's muscles!

We're now down to Casey, Crystal and Lee DeWyze. Who do you think will go home next?

The American Idol finalists sang a pair of duets this week, both of which were praised by Kara and Simon with the following critiques:

"The duets tonight were incredible. They were better than all of the solo performances." - Kara

"They were a million times better than the solo performances." - Simon

It's safe to say this isn't a good sign, especially when we're down to the final four and at the point in the competition where singers should be blowing us away with memorable renditions.

Instead, we were (mis)treated to another batch of mediocre numbers. Crysal Bowersox put on the best movie-themed performance, making a surprise selection of "I'm Alright" from Caddyshack.

For such a lackluster season, it's appropriate that its favorite is a woman that seemingly doesn't even care about Idol.

As for Casey James' cover of "Mrs. Robinson?" LAME! We thought we were over the inappropriate, unfunny joke about Kara's crush on this crooner. Instead, it was revived either by Casey himself; or, it wouldn't surprise us, by Fox, as the network must be clamoring for any way to bring excitement to the program.

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