I do not watch reality shows and have only seen one American Idol episode from beginning to end. Nevertheless, I just might tune into the Season 9 premiere on January 12 to see what the new judging panel is like. As you no doubt know, Paula Abdul has been replaced by Ellen Degeneres for this season. Opinion seems to be pretty much divided about whether Ellen’s presence will help the show or drag it down. This is what I’m curious about.
Auditions were held around the country in cities like Atlanta, Dallas, Boston, and Orlando. I just read an article that said the Boston auditions will air on Tuesday, with the others to follow.
How do the auditions work anyway? Do people have to pay their own way or do they get some sort of stipend from the show? Does Idol at least help them find cheap hotels in Orlando or whatever city the audition is in? It would suck to spend all that time and money to audition for the show at the risk of getting absolutely nothing in return. Then again, I guess Idol producers can’t very well be expected to pick up the tab for the thousands of people who show up hoping for a shot at stardom, right?
At any rate, I can’t wait to see how Ellen does!