Behind the Scenes of Last Night's American Idol

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People magazine was backstage at American Idol last night. Here's what too place:

She Works Hard
Jordin Sparks sang Donna Summer's "She Works Hard For the Money," but what she really did was work hard for the judges' attention. Throughout most of her performance Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson talked amongst themselves.

She's Back
British invasion week took place early on in the competition, but singer Lulu made her return to the studio on Tuesday night – this time, as a fan and not a mentor. "I was in town on business and Nigel Lythgoe told me to stop by for the show if I wanted," she said. "And of course, I wanted to. I'm a fan." Who does she think will make it through to the finals?

"Well, I predicted early on that it would be Blake and Jordin in the finals."

Party of Two
Actor Scott Wolf and his wife, Kelley Limp attended the show for the first time ever. The former Party of Five star, who's in Los Angeles starring in the Neil LaBute play Fat Pig, says he and Kelley watch Idol every night. "Melinda Dolittle is by far the best vocalist," he said. "She could be one of the great ones of our time."

Pucker Up
LaKisha Jones has praised Simon for being a good kisser with soft lips. So it's no wonder a grandmother from Grand Rapids, Mich., asked during a commercial break if she could see for herself. Simon enthusiastically obliged with not one, but two smooches (sorry LaKisha)!

Name Dropping
Randy is a well-established music producer and he never misses a opportunity to remind you of it. Last night was no exception. He chose the Whitney Houston song "I Believe in You and Me" for Melinda. When she was informed of Randy's choice via a faxed letter that read "I've worked with her before" (meaning Houston), Simon and Paula cracked up and playfully whacked Randy on the back, as if to say, "We know you're big in the industry, Dawg!"

Sign Me Up
Outstanding signage for the night? "Simon, Can I Be Your Puppet?" and "I Love My Agent For Getting Me These Tickets."

Band of Brothers
It's not often that the Idol contestants remain on the stage during a commercial break. But after Blake Lewis performed an impressive version of Robin Thicke's "When I Get You Alone," the Seattle native took his time as he shook hands and hugged bandleader Ricky Minor. He then walked through the band section to shake hands and hug the musicians and the backup singers, thanking them for making his final performance at the CBS studio a memorable one.

Next week the finalists will perform at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.

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