Which is more than we can say about the more famous and veteran celebrity performers who’ve given their own twist to the Star Spangled Banner…intentionally or not…forgetting the lyrics, flubbing the lines, or rendering the national anthem as a heavy metal number…

The first ever “American Idol” champ did admit she was nervous before her performance in front of millions of people, resulting in a frenzy of practicing that would do any voice coach proud.

“Just finished rehearsing the anthem in Indy…wow, I’m actually really nervous about singing at the Super Bowl ha! Here’s hoping I nail it and don’t screw it up!”

Clarkson tweeted on Friday.

“Literally left my wardrobe at the hotel in Louisiana and my tour manager had to run back and get it. Now we’re on the plane headed for the Super Bowl but that was a close one! I’m not sure if I could have pulled off spanx and heels while singing the anthem :)”

Looks like her case of nerves and her faithful rehearsals did pay off, because Kelly Clarkson gave a stunning performance worthy of a champion.

No wonder her her single “Stronger” got to number two on the Billboard singles chart, and she just set the chart record as the “Idol” alum with the most top 10 hits ever!

Watch Kelly‘s top anthem performance…

Photo Via Video Screen Grab

Kelly‘s currently coming out with her fifth album, “Stronger,” which tells the story of her past, and underlines how she surmounted the odds to become a survivor. She’s often the first to admit that her impoverished childhood living with a twice-divorced mother continues to resound in her life…

“We had fun,”

29-year-old Kelly tells the UK Mirror,

“but there was struggle too. Now I don’t have to worry about having clean clothes or paying the bills too late, but that level of stress definitely has an effect.”

“Divorce isn’t fun,”

“It affects relationships you get into when you are older. I think you have to work a little harder because you’re constantly thinking it’s probably not going to work out in the end. Also, I travel a lot and work a lot. The way I live it’s hard for me to even find someone.”

“I’m definitely a workaholic.”

“If you finally get to do the job you love, you work your butt off.”

Photo By PR Photos

To give credit where credit is due, the 63-year-old Aerosmith frontman didn’t forget any of the words or flub any line of the national anthem, but critics are raving more about the scarf he wore which they declared to be loads better than the performance he put in on the field…uh…singing…

Well, more like tortured warbled screaming.

Perhaps Tyler forgot he was honoring the flag and thought he was on tour with the band on one of his rock concerts, instead.

Associated Press said his rendition “probably wouldn’t get him to Hollywood.”

And also:

“How is this guy supposed to pass as a judge on a singing competition when he does… this?”

Sports Grid complained of the “American Idol” judge.

Still, the audience cheered the rocker legend on, and we just want to say that we do love his scarf to death. It’s probably the reason why beauty queens everywhere are facing a shortage of sequins for their pageant-day gowns.

Enjoy Steven Tyler‘s rock rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” here…

Photos Via Video Screen Grabs

“American Idol” without Ryan Seacrest? Who can imagine the show without the toothy and charming 37-year-old television host? But it seems Ryan‘s steadily escalating paychecks have the network powers-that-be shaking their heads at Ryan‘s astronomical asking fee…

Ryan‘s currently making $15 million a year as the host of “Idol.” Word on the street is, Ryan may have to take a pay cut to renew his contract with E! this year, or the network’s shopping for another host.

“There’s no way Fremantle and CKx will continue to pay Ryan that kind of money when he can be replaced for $2 million to $3 million,”

a source told The Hollywood Reporter.

The question is, will Ryan Seacrest agree to a pay cut, or will he play hardball with the network?

“It’s in Ryan‘s best interest to make them sweat — the company has new people running it and has to play the game.”

The source continued.

Hmmm…looks like an internal battle between Ryan and and the network is in the offing. Care to place your bets on who’ll come out the winner?

Photo By PR Photos

With the hype of celebrity plastic surgery surrounding his person, the effeminate 33-year-old Clay shrugs it off as part of the job. He can afford to. After all, he remains one of the top earning alums of “Idol,” pulling in an estimated $1.5 million a year…

Maybe he’s put on weight, maybe he’s had a little surgical help…but as far as looking good is concerned, we really like how Clay‘s “evolved”…

But if you’re really curious about just how much Clay Aiken – singer, songwriter, actor, producer, and author – has changed, make sure you’re tuned in to NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice” on February 12, and see if you can spot just how much of his face has shifted in which direction.

Who knows, it may very well be all everybody’ll be talking about for the rest of  the Season…

Photos By PR Photos / Via Clay Aiken‘s Twitter

Alaina performed live in front of tens of thousands of football fans and a television audience of millions when she plumb forgot the lyrics to the national anthem right around the middle of the song…

“What so proudly we hailed, through the twi…”

before going completely silent while the supportive audience helped out by taking up where she left off. We’re guessing they were expecting something like this to happen after having experienced Christina Aguilera murder the national anthem on national television at the Super Bowl earlier this year.

It’s a good thing Lauren recovered quickly enough and got back into the groove with

“Whose broad stripes and bright stars…”

without prolonging her snafu any further.

“Oh Lauren Alaina… Poor you. Poor poor you….”

tweeted Brian Baumgartner, who plays Kevin Malone on NBC comedy “The Office.”

But Lauren also received tweets of encouragement, like the one sent by “American Idol” alum, Kellie Pickler:

“HEY DOLL! YOU HANDLED YOURSELF LIKE A PRO! SEND THE BULLIES MY WAY & I’LL TELL EM’ WHERE TO GO.”

To which Lauren replied:

“thank you so much. I’m not a robot. I have No excuses. I messed up. You know what can ya do. At Least didn’t fall down again.”

Still, as the TV announcer for the game, FOX’s Joe Buck summed up Lauren‘s performance:

“It’s all about how you finish.”

And to her credit Lauren did finish beautifully to a wide smile and rousing cheers from the audience…

Image via video screen grab

The Aerosmith frontman was rushed to the hospital following the accident where doctors discovered the worse of his injuries were largely of the oral variety…

Apart from some cuts around his eyebrow and mouth, that is.

Steven was forced to cancel the concert he was set to perform at a rock festival in the country, perhaps due to the fear that not only would he end up lisping through the lyrics, he’s be treating South American audiences to his version of a Halloween pumpkin onstage.

There hasn’t been any word from the “American Idol” judge’s reps about whether Steven would be suing the hotel for their slipper bathroom bathroom. On the other hand, it may have just been the fragility of old age (he’s 63) that sent him falling to kiss the tiles below. He’s lucky he didn’t break his hips.

Get well soon, Steven Tyler. We’re looking forward to seeing you again soon, showing us lopsided pearly whites with even more character to enhance that well-known smacker of yours.

Image via WENN

The pop rock singer may have two Grammy awards, four multi-platinum albums, and a humongous fan base, but there something she doesn’t have that a lot of other women take for granted…a boyfriend.

“I’ve never experienced certain things, and I think that’s because I have this side of me that is shut off,”

the “Mr. Know It All” singer reveals.

“Because I haven’t found anybody yet to open to that I feel like, ‘OK, you’re worth breaking down that wall for.’ I’ve never found that.”

Kelly‘s one year shy of 30, but she doesn’t seem to be in a hurry at all. She may still be searching for someone she’ll do everything for, but she says she won’t be ready to tie the knot for at least a decade yet.

“Statistically, if you wait that long, you’re not going to get divorced,”

she says hopefully. Besides…

“It’s really hard to date when I’m on four different continents in a week. Even if I do meet a great guy, I ain’t ever gonna see him. There’s only so much you can do with Skype!”

Busy Kelly laments.

So if there’s any guy out there who loves pluz-size women with lungs of steel, who’s willing to travel to different countries within the span of a week, and who’s willing to wait at least 10 years to say wedding vows…give Kelly a shout-out.

Oh, and you definitely must be someone she’d be willing to “break her wall down” for. Whatever that takes.

Image via WENN

Looks like these two won’t let the much-hyped rivalry between “American Idol” and “X Factor” stop them from being friendly.

Right after performing his new song “It Feels So Good” on stage at the iHeartRadio music festival in Las Vegas with Nicole and his fellow “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson, Steven leaned in to kiss the gorgeous “X Factor” judge on the lips.

Was it a romantic kiss? Uh, no.

Though Steven and Nicole wore matching sparkly outfits, the two are definitely not dating. The “Aerosmith” front man is still with longtime girlfriend Erin Brady while Nicole and British F1 racing champion Lewis Hamilton are still very much in love.

What do you think of Nicole and Steven’s very public liplock? Pretty weird, right? Steven’s three decades older than her, after all.

image via video screen grabs

In his accompanying interview, Adam tells the magazine:

“What’s always pi**ed me off about ‘Idol’ is wanting to mask that, for that to go unspoken… C’mon. You can’t be publicly gay? At this point? On a singing competition? Give me a break. You can’t hide basic components of these people’s lives. The fact that ‘The Voice’ didn’t have any qualms about being completely about it is a great thing.”

This comes after “American Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert—who is openly gay—confessed that he was not allowed to talk about his sexuality while he was still on the show.

Aside from dissing “Idol,” Adam also opens up about his gay brother. He says:

“We all really wanted to provide some cushion for him and constantly let him know that it’s OK. A lot of people don’t want their kid to be gay and will fight it all costs, but I’ve got news for you—it’s a losing f**king battle.”

It’s really great that Adam’s sticking up for the gays, but somehow, slamming “American Idol” makes it seem as if he’s just trying to promote his own show, “The Voice.” Don’t you think?

Oh well. Either way, he’s hot.

images via OUT Magazine

“I feel like they’re talking to someone else. I’m like, ‘Who are you trying to talk to?’ My mind hasn’t caught up yet … I didn’t expect to go as far as I did.”

Jennifer told Joy Behar on “The View”. Star news is under the impression Jennifer still feels she’s the size 16 she was before American Idol and an Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA awards catapulted her to stardom.

“Instead of saying I lost this or that, I [say I] feel like I gained 10 years of my youth back. I look 10 years younger. People say to me, ‘You have Jennifer Hudson‘s face. Are you her little sister?’”

If we were Jennifer Hudson‘s body today, we’d be struttin’ our stuff for all to see. Not covering ourselves up like she’s going to do in her new film “Winnie,” a biopic about Nelson Mandela’s wife that’ll be in theaters late this year.

Image via WENN

Jennifer’s been quoted as saying.

J.Lo is reportedly unsure if she will be returning to ‘American Idol’ next season. In an interview with BBC Radio, the singer explains:

“I haven’t been forced to make a decision and I’m glad about that because honestly I’m very on the fence about it.”

According to TMZ, J.Lo received $12 million for her stint on ‘American Idol’ last season. Is she really prepared to leave that behind?

She says of the show:

“I loved it, but I have a lot other things happening, and it’s going to come down to me making a choice of what I want to do for the next year.”

In addition to reviving her music career, J.Lo is putting up a singing competition show with her husband, Marc Anthony. The show will be called “Que Viva!: The Chosen” and will be focusing on aspiring (and unsigned) singers in Latin America.

What do you guys think of this piece of entertainment news? Are you glad? Or devastated?

image via WENN

Lauren took some time to settle those rumors into the grave, telling celebrity news she’s as spunky as they come and doesn’t want to give off the wrong vibe with her easygoing nature and gentle humor.

“I’m not really a blonde. People call me a dumb blonde. I’m actually really smart. I love to go to school, and my favorite subject is math. I like school more than anything, probably.”

While 16-year-old Lauren did have her “blonde” moments, like taking a tumble down the “Idol” mansion’s stairs, she dispels this bout of clumsiness with:

“People fall all the time, but mine just happened to be caught on national television.”

Good call Lauren. No dumb blonde would have been able to pull off her own single (“Like My Mother Does”) barely a week after Scotty McCreery walked away with “Idol’s” first prize.

So are you guys dating, or what?

Image via WENN

…”whoever doesn’t win still loves the other,” right? Because aren’t Scotty and Lauren dating?

Beyonce has released “4″ to show her fans the new direction her music is taking. She tells Hollywood celebrity gossip:

“I also gave myself more freedom to really belt out some songs, and bring soul singing back.”

Listen to “1 + 1″ and tell us if its a whole lot better than Beyonce‘s previous dance driven tunes…

Image via WENN

122 million votes—a record for the show—were cast, and Scotty was declared the victor, making him the youngest winner (he’s only 17!) in ‘American Idol’ history.

Scotty said:

“It’s been a year since me and Lauren Alaina tried out now… We’ve been together since day one and we’re going to stay together.”

He added:

“This is just – never in my wildest dreams…I got to thank the Lord first.  He got me here.”

The two-hour finale, which aired live from the Nokia Theatre in L.A., featured performances from former contestants, as well as Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and even ‘Idol’ judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez.

Scotty also got to perform a duet with country legend Tim McGraw.

So are you guys happy with the results?

image via WENN

Haley was performing a rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “What Is & What Should Never Be” when the she tripped on the stairs connecting the stage to the judges’ platform. The ‘Idol’ contestant simply smiled and went on with the song. Lucky for her, the judges admired her resiliency and even applauded her after her brilliant recovery from the embarrassing incident.

After her performance, Steven Tyler told her:

“You know, it’s not about how many times you fall… it’s how many times you get back up.”

He added:

“That was superb.”

However, Haley wasn’t the only one who received good marks. Her fellow contestants, Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina also gave great performances and were praised by the judges.

Check out the video to see Haley’s embarrassing fall! Think it may have earned her some extra votes?

image via WENN

Lady Gaga will be guiding the remaining contestants—James Durbin, Scotty McCreery, Haley Reinhart and Lauren Alaina—as they perform songs written by Mike Stoller and Jerry Lieber, who wrote most of Elvis Presley‘s hits.

According to the latest entertainment news, Gaga will also be performing on the finale episode of ‘American Idol’, along with Stevie Nicks.

While we all love us some Gaga, we can’t help but wonder what the eccentric pop star will be teaching these aspiring singers. Hopefully she won’t be telling them to wear weird clothes or perform all kinds of crazy, attention-seeking antics.

Think she’s gonna be a good mentor?

image via WENN

The new gig would have Lopez and her husband Marc Antony touring Latin America and searching for the best undiscovered musical talent. The working title: Que Viva.

Since the show is looking for a network home, the project is considered in early stages of development. Still, trying to launch her own competition show raises a question: Does J Lo plan to stay on American Idol?

Lopez is only signed on through the end of this season. But given her strong performance on Idol, it’s more than likely the producers would want her to stick around after the season. Also being an Idol judge has helped raise her profile tremendously; and I bet you anything Jenny from the Block ain’t going nowhere fast.

Latino Idol, surely it’d be a lot of fun and dancing!

Please visit EW.com for the rest of the story.

images via WENN

Zak Bagans is the lead investigator for the ghost show and goes as far as saying the haunting has demonic traits to it. Hmmm.

As TMZ first reported, the “Idol” gang MOVED OUT of the place last week after several spooky incidents — including flickering lights, mysterious spider infestations, and a FLOATING WHITE SHEET!!

Zak tells tells us he feels the best way to investigate the supernatural situation would be to bring the “Idol” finalists BACK to the house so he can use them as “trigger objects.”

Zak explains, “If there are spirits or demonic entities present they may have had a connection with one of them … hence all the activity.”

Well, it could be ratings gold for the ghosters, since their show is reality based too. Do you think FOX will go for it and let them in the house?

Photos via WENN

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Justin and Selena show some love on twitter

Charlie Sheen admits he’s “losing my mind”

Miley Cyrus loves the kings of Leon in a flirty way, also shouts out at a photographer

Gwen Stefani in Elle Magazine UK [April 2011]

Abbie Cornish at the Limitless New York premiere

Brittany Snow covering Maxims April issues makes Thursday a little better (photos)

Erin Heatherton is ravishing in Russh Magazine

photo: WENN