simon cowell american idol

American Idol Finale: Crystal Bowersox Versus Lee DeWyze

Who will win the American Idol finale? If judge Simon Cowell has a choice, it will be ‘most improved’ contestant Lee DeWyze. But we’re still rooting for longtime fan favorite Crystal Bowersox. Tonight we’ll see the final performances and then it will be up to America to decide this season’s American Idol winner at last.

We have been behind Crystal Bowersox to win American Idol this season right from the beginning. Her sultry, soulful voice and powerhouse pipes made her an obvious favorite early on. We also loved that she wasn’t the typicalÂ generic Idol contestant. The hippie girl with the dreadlocks and Janis Joplin vibe connected with us instantly. It was clear Crystal Bowersox wasn’t just another singer, she was an artist in her own right and a force to be reckoned with.

Lee DeWyze, on the other hand, didn’t impress us much in the beginning. In fact, we pretty much ignored him through most of the season on American Idol. His song choices weren’t great, his personality came across a bit flat and he struggled with his vocals during a number of performances. In recent weeks, however, DeWyze seems to have finally come into his own. His recent performance of “Hallelujah” was a show-stopper and even made us rewind for another listen – despite our initial disgust in having to listen to that song on Idol AGAIN. DeWyze’s duet with Bowersox on “Falling Slowly” from Once was also a triumph for both singers.

With Simon Cowell leaving American Idol at the end of the season, this could well be the beginning of the end of Idol forever. Unless they manage to find an amazing replacement for Cowell (and revamp the show to be more interesting again and have better contestants!), we doubt the show will make it more than one more season at the most.

Whoever wins the American Idol finale may well be one of the last Idols ever. While we hope it is Mama Sox who takes home the top prize, it will be up to the public at large to decide who may be one of the last to ever carry the American Idol winner title.

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>> Previously:Â Simon Cowellâ€™s American Idol Winner Pick: Lee DeWyze

Simon Cowell’s American Idol Winner Pick: Lee DeWyze

American Idol judge Simon Cowell has announced his pick for the American Idol winner this season: Lee DeWyze. While Cowell said he previously thought Crystal Bowersox had nailed down the American Idol winner spot, he is now betting on DeWyze.

“If you’d asked me five or six weeks ago, 100 percent I would have said Crystal,” Cowell said in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show. “But now I’ve changed my mind. I think Lee is going to win.”

Crystal Bowersox has been considered by many since the start of the season to be the frontrunner for the American Idol winner title. In recent weeks, however, some have questioned her desire to win the show and deal with all the media attention she’ll be forced to endure if she ends up on top.

In addition, Bowersox has seemed to fade a bit on American Idol on the show over the past few weeks, while Lee DeWyze has been giving some of his best performances of the season. Obviously, DeWyze’s serious improvement during the latter part of the season has certainly changed Cowell’s mind about the winner. We can’t help but wonder if the American public is feeling the same.

The two American Idol finalists will battle it out Tuesday night for the last time. Both contestants will sing three songs each during the live finale. We are still rooting for Crystal Bowersox as our favorite to win, but at this point we think it’s anyone’s guess who will end up the winner.

>> Previously:Â American Idol: Lee Dewyze Hallelujah a Heavenly Gift?

American Idol Replacing Simon Cowell with Ryan Seacrest?

Will American Idol producers keep it in the family when they replace outgoing judge Simon Cowell? Rumor has it AI is considering doing just that by moving host Ryan Seacrest into Cowell’s soon to be vacated seat on the judging panel.

According to a report from E! Online, American Idol producers are mulling the idea of replacing Simon Cowell with Ryan Seacrest for the next season of the show. Seacrest would allegedly continue to host the show as well, pulling a crazed double-duty shift.

When asked about the possible switch, an unnamed ‘insider’ reportedly told E! Online “anything is possible. Stay tuned.”

Personally, we’re calling this one as just an idle rumor with no real substance behind it at this point. Ryan Seacrest has done an admirable enough job holding on to his American Idol hosting gig this long. But we’re not really feeling him as a judge.

If American Idol is going to survive the loss of Simon Cowell, producers are going to have to find someone with a lot more star power than Seacrest – and we’re pretty sure they are well aware of it.

>> Previously:Â Simon Cowell â€˜Very Sadâ€™ About Leaving American Idol

Simon Cowell ‘Very Sad’ About Leaving American Idol

American Idol judge Simon Cowell told host Ryan Seacrest he is “very sad” to be leaving the show. Not sad enough, however, to stick around for another season. “I think you gotta know when it’s time to go,” Cowell told Seacrest on his KIIS-FM morning show Tuesday.

Simon Cowell will be leaving American Idol after this season to play judge on the U.S. version of The X Factor. Cowell said he’d always intended to bring The X Factor to America and initially thought he would do both shows. “But, you know about overexposure Ryan, you can’t be on TV too much,” Cowell said. “So that was really the decision. I thought about staying on and doing both shows, but then I thought people would genuinely get sick and tired of me.”

As for rumors former American Idol judge Paula Abdul will be joining The X Factor judging panel, Cowell refused to comment. “You’ll have to wait and see,” he said cryptically.

So Simon Cowell will be leaving one television reality talent competition for another television reality talent competition. Pretty much we think Cowell realizes American Idol is on the fast road to the cancel heap in another season or two and he hopes moving to The X Factor will give him a reboot in TV fame and fortune – without having to learn how to do a new job.

>> Previously:Â American Idol Alumni Jason Castro Wedding in Texas