Ryan Seacrest News

Tonight's results show was the first real shocker of the season. The bottom three consisted of Katie Stevens, Didi Benami, and Tim Urban and, on a night where Urban was the expected candidate to head home, this he received a stay of execution. Performing on tonight's results show was "Idol" winner Ruben Studdard, Usher, and Diddy alongside Dirty Money and each their songs was done quite well. The night was the first really unexpected results show, but it is often these kinds of results that keep "Idol" audiences on their toes.

On Wednesday, March 31, AMERICAN IDOL welcomed guest appearances by superstars Usher, Diddy, wil.i.am, and IDOL seaseon 2 winner Reuben Studdard. Check out the pictures below - including photos from Tuesday's performance show.

It was R&B night tonight on "Idol," a theme that benefited some singers over others, but it was actually a night of overall solid performances from the contestants. It is the first week where there hasn't really been a shockingly bad performance by any of the contestants and it featured a number of really excellent showings, including several comeback performances by performers who had a tough time in recent weeks. R&B/pop superstar Usher coached the contestants, giving spot on criticism to the group. It was clear Usher knew what he was talking about and he was the perfect choice to mentor this week.

Be a part of something special this year and help those in need by raising funds to support IDOL GIVES BACK and its beneficiaries before the show airs Wednesday, April 21 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. Join the 'Help Me Give Back' program, an online initiative that empowers individuals and teams to raise money for IDOL GIVES BACK, now at www.americanidol.com/idolgivesback and start fundraising today for this worthwhile cause.

'Idol' is down to 10. Tonight was by far one of the most important nights of 'Idol;' those who make it through tonight earn a spot on the summer tour and (presumably) the opportunity to sell a ton of records. On such an important night, there as at least one surprise, with the bottom three consisting of Paige Miles, Tim Urban, and, shockingly, Katie Stevens. Stevens wasn't bad last night, and it's a bit of a surprise to see her among this group.

'American Idol' featured the teen sensation Miley Cryus as the contestant's coach on their songs for this week. Cyrus was surprisingly helpful in her comments to the top 11 and it was clear she had done her homework, knowing each person's strengths and weaknesses. Several singers gave strong performances this week, while the weaker contestants missed the mark again. The theme was back to number one Billboard hits and, even though it seems like it should be easy to make a good song choice out of the thousands of possibilities, it was still a struggle for many of the singers.

Live Nation, the international tour promoter for Lady Gaga's The Monster Ball tour presented by Virgin Mobile, has confirmed due to exuberant fan demand, an additional 6 Monster Ball concert dates have been added to the previously announced North American itinerary. On Friday, sales were so brisk that a 3rd and final show was added in New York. Quick to follow were sell outs in Toronto, Vancouver and San Jose who have also now confirmed 2nd and final shows in each city. In Los Angeles, to ensure Lady Gaga fans had the best possible access to tickets a 2nd performance was announced prior to Saturday's on sale and both Staples Center concerts are also now completely sold out.

It is now down to 11 'American Idol' hopefuls as another contestant, Lacey Brown, was eliminated during the results show that aired last night, Wednesday, March 17th. American Idol season 7 winner David Cook made an appearance and sang the Rolling Stones hit 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' and guest performer Ke$sha took to the stage to sing her hit 'Blah Blah Blah'.

Tonight, 'Idol' was forced to let go of the first of the top 12. After a night of good performances, it's tough to see the performers go home, but it's clear that some deserve it more than others. The bottom three on the night were Lacey Brown, Paige Miles, and Tim Urban, the three performers who had the weakest performances. The drama was high tonight, as 'Idol' as we found out who would be the first to go.

'Idol' has finally reached the top 12 contestants of season nine, where they make the jump from a small, intimate stage to the full audience at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. This is where the eventual 'Idol' winner will be crowned and it presents a new set of challenges to the singers, who now have a fill a much larger space with their talent. Luckily, many of the contestants were able to step up immediately, as the performances tonight were, in general, very strong. It was an excellent showing and proved why each of the contestants has earned their way into the top 12.

Lady Gaga, one of the most exciting and innovative new artists in recent history, has announced her highly anticipated return to North America on the heels of her sold-out European tour. The 2010 North American leg of The Monster Ball Tour, presented by Virgin Mobile, will begin on June 28th at Montreal's Bell Centre, taking her spectacular show to 31 top arenas and a host of new cities in the U.S. and Canada throughout the summer and fall.

A night with a number of surprises rounded out the final separation of the guys and girls, as America found out the twelve contestants that will make up the finals of "American Idol." Each of the contestants sent home this evening had standout performance within the past three weeks and many contestants who did make it through were shocked at their fate.

"Idol" tonight saw the last separation between the men and women, with the top eight gentlemen performing before learning to the top twelve. The guys gave a solid show, showing versatility and an ability to adapt songs to their personal styles. It seems that, tonight, the guys as a group gave an overall better performance than the women did last night, in a surprisingly strong showing.

Ladies night tonight featured the top eight women remaining on "Idol." On a night that Simon called "the worst night to go" and is widely regarded as one of the more important nights in the competition, several contestants came out strong, while a few made terrible choices that may spell the end of the show for them. It seemed a generally safe night for many of the contestants, but was entertaining nonetheless.

The top 16 contestants of FOX's 'American Idol' pose for the camera as they get ready to move ahead to next week's showdown.

Four members of the remaining "American Idol" hopefuls had to be sent home tonight, and the results shows only grow more emotional each week. The evening began with the top twenty contestants singing the Black Eyed Pea's hit I've Got a Feeling and the song was just, well, awkward. This is not the type of song that lends itself to a group performance and the "Idol" staff showed us exactly why that's the case. The harmonies were odd, the rapping by many of the contestants didn't fit, and the song just sounded odd. Katie Stevens was the standout, as she seemed to actually be enjoying herself and was having fun with the song. (Perhaps this is more the type of song she should be choosing on a weekly basis?)

The women were back tonight and ready to perform after last night's last minute switch. The theme was still Billboard Chart Toppers and the night had some songs that were up to Billboard caliber. Others, however, fell flat, as contestants were again plagued by poor song choices. Of all the judges, Randy seemed most frustrated by the multitude of poor choices. Hopefully this is a skill that will come with time and the contestants will get better. Some of the ladies, however, knew exactly where they wanted to be and were spot on in their selection.

"Idol" surprised viewers tonight, sending the gentlemen on to perform instead of the previously scheduled women. At the top of the episode, Ryan Seacrest explained that fan favorite Crystal Bowersox was taken to the hospital and was recommended to not perform by her doctors. "Idol" producers, as well as the guys themselves, were accommodating and decided to go tonight and allow Bowersox the night to rest.

American Idol contestants Janell Wheeler, Ashley Rodriguez, Joe Munoz and Tyler Grady were the first four cut from the ninth season of the competition. In the video below, Entertainment Tonight talks to the foursome about their journey on the reality show.

Twitter Watch shines a BWW spotlight on radio host, entertainment reporter and television producer Ryan Seacrest who can also be seen weekly as host of AMERICAN IDOL on FOX.