Guessing which of the judges will be back on American Idol next season has become a popular game.

And yeah, we’re having trouble keeping track of the rumors, reports and whispers, too.

However, we can tell ya that Kara DioGuardi will be back for season nine of the hit reality show…

“Her deal is done. There are no ifs, ands or buts,” a source said. “Done. She will be back.”

No surprise, but the source reports that DioGuardi’s new deal doesn’t even come close to what the other judges are getting or, in Paula Abdul’s case, asking for.

DioGuardi is set to start shooting a new season of auditions in the next week or so. Reps for DioGuardi and the show declined to comment.

Even if Ms. Abdul is still hammering out a deal, we have a feeling all will be worked out in the end and all four judges will return.

Source, Bauer-Griffin

A man has been charged in the weekend hit-and-run death of two-time American Idol contestant Alexis Cohen.

Daniel Bark, 23, was arrested around 6 p.m. Sunday and charged with causing Cohen’s death by reckless driving and leaving the scene of a collision, The Asbury Park Journal reports.

Bark, currently being held in Ocean County Jail in Toms River, N.J. on $35,000 bail, faces 10 to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Cohen, 25, was struck early Saturday morning in Seaside Heights. She was found around 4 a.m. by two passerby who called 911, Deputy Chief Michael Mohel of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office tells the Morning Call newspaper of her hometown, Allentown, Penn.

She was pronounced dead at 6:35 a.m. at the Community Medical Center in Toms River, N.J. Autopsy results show she suffered chest, head and abdominal injuries, Mohel says.

Cohen auditioned for the seventh season in Philadelphia in 2007, but the show didn’t air until January 2008. Idol cameras followed her to to her Allentown, Penn. studio apartment, which she shared with her mother, two cats and her dog.

“I march to the beat of a different drummer,” admitted the memorable contestant. After Simon Cowell didn’t vote her through to Hollywood, Cohen ranted he was “egotistical” and declared she was going into acting.

She later appeared on The View, Live With Regis and Kelly and Howard Stern’s radio show.

Cohen unsuccessfully tried out again during Idol’s eighth season.

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Despite word that Paula Abdul likely won’t appear on American Idol next season, fellow judge Simon Cowell isn’t worried.

“She’ll be fine. She’ll be on the show,” he tells Extra. “I don’t get a lot of say. I’ve just made it clear that I want Paula on the show.”

Added host Ryan Seacrest (who just inked a $45 million, three-year contract): “I think as far as I know, you’ll see everybody back. I hope so.”

David Sonenberg, Abdul’s manager, raised concern over the weekend, telling the Los Angeles Times that the singer-dancer hasn’t been offered a contract yet.

“She’s not a happy camper as a result of what’s going on. She’s hurt,” he told the paper.

Meanwhile, a grass-roots “Keep Paula” campaign has launched on Twitter to keep Abdul on the show.

Matt Giraud, Anoop Desai and Danny Gokey — who are now on the Idol live tour – are among the alums who’ve taken time out to join the campaign.

Over the weekend, Abdul took to her Twitter page to thank fans for standing by her.

She wrote: “I”m actually moved 2 tears upon reading the enormous amount of tweets showing me your kindness, love & undying support. God bless all you! If it weren’t for you, this specific time and situation would feel a lot worse! XoP”

Source, Bauer-Griffin

Shortly after Paula Abdul’s manager announced that “it does not appear” the dancer-singer will return to American Idol next season, fans took to Twitter to show their support for the embattled judge.

Using the hashtag “#keeppaula,” they have been Tweeting like crazy.

Matt Giraud, Anoop Desai and Danny Gokey — who are now on the Idol live tour – also each took time out to join the “Keep Paula” campaign.

Season 7’s Syesha Mercado Tweeted, “No Paula = No American Idol.”

Katrina Darrell, the contestant known as “Bikini Girl” who clashed with new fourth judge Kara DioGuardi, wrote: “They don’t need a 4th judge, especially an insecure know it all kara. Keep Paula add bikini girl as 4th judge if they need.”

Abdul took to her Twitter page to thanks fans for standing by her.

She wrote: “I”m actually moved 2 tears upon reading the enormous amount of tweets showing me your kindness, love & undying support. God bless all you! If it weren’t for you, this specific time and situation would feel a lot worse! xoP”

Abdul’s manager told the Los Angeles Times that the judge has yet to be offered a new contract for the upcoming ninth season. The announcement came as Idol host Ryan Seacrest inked a $45 million, three-year contract.

Said Abdul’s manager David Sonenberg: “She’s not a happy camper as a result of what’s going on. She’s hurt. She’s angry. . . . Very sadly, it does not appear that she’s going to be back on Idol.”

Source, Bauer-Griffin

Former American Idol finalist Ace Young is engaged, he tells Usmagazine.com.

The 28-year-old singer – who finished seventh on the fifth season of the hit Fox show – recently popped the question to Allison Fisher, 20, his costar on Broadway’s Grease.

“I found my true love in Grease,” Young tells Usmagazine.com.

No date has been set.

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Adam Lambert says role models come in a variety of different forms – even in eye makeup, fingernail polish and tight pants.

“It’s a really, really cool thing,” the American Idol runner-up says, “to be able to show people that you can be yourself, and you should be proud of yourself, and you should own who you are and what you’re about, and never make apologies for it.”

So to those who speculate about his sexuality, he has a message. “Calm down,” he says, and “keep speculating.”

Lambert, 27, who finished second to Kris Allen in the show that ended May 20, says his comfort with himself can serve as an example. “It feels really amazing to be able to try and pass that on to kids and young adults who don’t have a role model like that,” he says. “It feels great because I never had a role model like that.”

“Conforming is not cool,” he adds. “Embracing who you are and what makes you different is actually what’s really cool … The kids that are different and out there and expressive and are bold with those choices, those are the people that grow up to be people we all want to hang out with, that become celebrities or become really successful in what they do because they believe in who they are.”

As for all the talk about his personal life, Lambert says just one word when asked if he’ll address his sexuality directly, say in an upcoming issue of Rolling Stone: “Maybe.”

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Fox is defending itself against claims that corporate sponsor AT&T unfairly swayed the show’s outcome by providing Kris Allen fans with free “power texts.”

According to The New York Times, AT&T provided phones for free text-messaging services at two Allen parties in Arkansas on the night of the finals. Citing sources, The Times reports that AT&T reps showed party-goers how to “power text” — cast 10 votes at the touch of a button — which violates show rules.

No similar efforts appear to have been made to provide free texting services to Adam Lambert fans, who have complained that the competition’s voting was rigged.

On Wednesday, Fox, Idol producers 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia denied the claims in a statement:

“Fox and the producers of American Idol are absolutely certain that the results of this competition are fair, accurate and verified. Kris Allen is, without a doubt, the American Idol. We have an independent third-party monitoring procedure in place to ensure the integrity of the voting process. In no way did any individuals unfairly influence the outcome of the competition.”

AT&T also defended itself in a separate statement:

“Last week, countless parties were held in homes, bars, and other public places across America to watch the American Idol finale. In Arkansas, a few local AT&T employees were invited to attend two local watch parties organized by the community. Caught up in the enthusiasm of rooting for their hometown contestant, they brought a small number of demo phones with them and provided texting tutorials to those who were interested.

“Going forward,” the AT&T statement concluded, “we will make sure our employees understand our sponsorship celebrates the competition, not individual contestants. That said, it’s quite a leap to suggest that a few individuals could have impacted the final results.”

Allen and Lambert’s rep has no comment.

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