TVSquad

(S06E23) So, 30 million votes were cast last night. And here's what we're told:

• Phil, Melinda, and Blake ARE NOT the bottom three.
• Chris S, LaKisha, Jordin ARE also NOT in the bottom three.
• Sanjaya, Haley, Gina? Nope, NOT the bottom three.

Which only means one thing:

• Chris R and Stephanie ARE the bottom two.

It also means that Sanjaya IS in the Top 10 and will join the Idols on tour. Is this a victory for Vote for the Worst and Howard Stern? Or is it really a victory for the Idol producers who can now count on Sanjaya's teenybopper fans shelling out loads of cash to see him live and in concert?

(S06E22) Tonight was an important night for the remaining 11 Idol finalists. The Top 10 get to go on the Idol Tour all summer. The guy (or girl) who is voted off tomorrow only gets to go back to their boring job or school. So, there's a lot at stake.

Before things get started, Randy says he's expecting the contestants to "bring their game" tonight. Paula advises them to "shake out their nerves . . . have fun . . . and picture Simon not dressed." Simon has only one question for Paula: "Is that what you think about?" Yeah, is it, Paula?

Did the contestants bring it tonight? The judges and Ryan sure think so. They love just about everyone and they give out lots of heaping praise. I'm not as overwhelmed as the judges, mostly because I find these two-hour shows to be brutally long. I swear that by the second half of the show, I've pretty much forgotten who's already performed. Good thing I take such meticulous notes.

The boys didn't do too well with the music of Diana Ross on this week's Idol. Perhaps, next week they'll do better when they sing hit songs from the 1960s British pop invasion.

Special guests Lulu and Peter Noone will prepare the remaining 11 contestants for Tuesday's show (March 20) and then perform live on Wednesday (March 21). Lulu is scheduled to sing "To Sir With Love," while Noone will sing "There's a Kind of Hush."

Peter Noone (whom I really want to call "Herman") writes about his upcoming guest appearance on his blog, saying "I am getting excited about my coaching job on American Idol. I get to hang with my really good friend Lulu who was my teenage heartthrob and we once had a date."

American Idol has an impressive guest list of artists for the rest of this season. Guests include Tony Bennett, Bon Jovi, Barry Gibb, Jennifer Lopez, Lulu, Martina McBride, Peter Noone, Diana Ross, and Gwen Stefani. Looking at that list, it's pretty obvious there will be themes including disco, rock, pop, '50s, country, and lounge.

First of all, I'd love to see Diana Ross be a guest judge. I think her zanyness could rival Paula's and maybe even make Paula look sober.

I think the biggest 'get' is Gwen Stefani, who is on top of her game right now. I guess she knows where her fans are. There's no doubt (har, har) that Gwen's young fans are the same people who watch Idol.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look as though any of these celebrities will actually perform. Idol's press release lists the celebs as "coaches" and "guests". So... they'll be helping performers choose and prepare songs and probably also be guest judges. Performers scheduled for this season are former Idol contestants Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler.