There’s was an American Idol 13 surprise Wednesday night, when Demi Lovato stopped by the CBS studios to sit with mentor Randy Jackson and weigh in on the finalists’ group number.
Judging is nothing new to the pop star. She spent two years sitting on Simon Cowell’s X Factor panel. In that capacity, she also mentored contestants chosen for her team.
In a post-show chat with Ryan Seacrest and EOnline, Demi was not shy about revealing her favorite contestant.
“I think the contestants are really good. I think everyone has to let lose a little bit, though. I was still waiting for the big hurrah,” Demi told Ryan. But there was ONE contestant who brought it. After Ryan prompted her name (Heh). Demi said, “Jena did that. She’s really good. She’s a star for sure.”
Jena closed the show with a powerful performance of Radiohead’s “Creep” which had Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban on their feet and full of praise.
Speculation is that Idol producers were giving Demi a trial run as judge, with the possibility of joining the panel next season. Producers will certainly be looking for low-budget options to fill the table, considering reports that have the ratings challenged show returning in a scaled back version.
Demi insists that she does not miss judging. “Just a little bit, maybe.” Hm. We shall see.
