JD Roberto, Constantine Maroulis and Gina Glocksen out, Jillian Barberie and Ace Young in, as hosts of this season’s American Idol Extra on Fox Reality Channel?
According to Billboard’s Jaded Insider, American Idol Extra, premiering Wednesday, March 25, has been re-cast for the 2009 season:
The former Good Day L.A. co-anchor has a long history with reality television (she was a contestant on the short-lived Fox series Skating With Celebrities and the former host of Ex-treme Dating) and with the network, going back to 2000 when she was hired as a correspondent for Fox NFL Sunday. And like its big brother lead-in, it will feature a few changes of its own; Namely, a new host: Jillian Barberie.
This year, a source tells Billboard, season 5’s Ace Young got the gig. He will assist in interviewing eliminated contestants and their families, and serve as the show’s man-on-the-street correspondent (hey, he’s certainly easier on the eyes than Matt Rogers). We also hear the show will introduce a live post-elimination element. As it was, Idol Extra always got first dibs on the week’s ousted contestant, interviewing that person immediately after the credits rolled.
Jillian Barberie was the obnoxious host of FOX’s Good Day Live. I find her on-screen personality pretty annoying. Last year’s host, JD Roberto did a credible job interviewing the bootees at the end of the show. Jillian is not going to be an improvement, although she’ll provide some great snark material.
Ace Young is great casting–he’s got the good looks and charisma for television, and he’s way more likeable than the smarmy Constantine Maroulis, who’ll be busy performing on Broadway in Rock of Ages this spring.
The bright side for Gina Glocksen–she gets to spend more time in Chicago with her new husband, who teaches high school there. Maybe Extra will have her back to perform some of the new songs she’s working on.