Kristin Chenoweth Judging American Idol ‘Harder Than I Thought’

 

Kristin Chenoweth joins the ranks of Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige and Shania Twain as the latest in a string of superstar guest judges to appear in the new season of American Idol.

The Tony Award-winning actress will sit on the judges’ panel tonight alongside Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi and Simon Cowell for the Orlando stop on the Idol auditions tour.

“It was harder than I thought because you really do have to look into the faces of people and say yes or no,” Chenoweth told PEOPLE at the Operation Good Mood lunch event in West Hollywood Tuesday. “I don’t like to be a bummer and hurt anyone’s feelings.”

It’s no doubt Chenoweth’s positive attitude makes her the perfect Good Mood Ambassador for the Oscar Mayer initiative, which collects food for hungry Americans. It’s that same disposition that made her ideal to hand out — or not! — golden tickets to this season’s American Idol hopefuls.

“I saw some really good talent and hopefully I was an encouragement to some people,” the former star of Pushing Daisies said. “There’s always usually one good thing you can say [to people].”

And that includes Cowell. Watch the clip to hear Chenoweth’s take on his upcoming departure from the show — and her spot-on impression of the boorish British judge. 


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Tara Reid is engaged, plans to wedding summer! No more Playboy spreads?

Tara Reid, 34, just got engaged to businessman boyfriend Michael Axtmann.

The Internet entrepreneur proposed to the actress/former reality TV star during a romantic dinner at The Little Door on Third Street in Los Angeles and afterwards, the other patrons applauded the happy couple.

Meanwhile, Reid recently posed topless (and noticeably Photoshopped) for the January-February issue of Playboy, saying that her life is much calmer now.

"I lived a lot of years in the public eye. But if you look at me now, that's not who I am anymore ... I'm not 'Girls Gone Wild' anymore. I''m happy with my life now, and I'd like to keep it this way."

This does beg the question -- Why pose for Playboy? -- but we're not going to quibble too much with Tara.

The couple  has been dating  since early last year and are reportedly planning an intimate ceremony for summer 2010. 


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LUCY LAWLESS SAYS HER NEW TV SHOW IS SEXY,extremely offensive!

Lucy Lawless says her new TV show is gory, sexy AND extremely offensive!
 
The former Xena: Warrior Princess star admits lots of people will probably be offended by Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which premiered Friday night on Starz.

“I think a lot of people are going to be shocked and they are going to shut off their televisions,” Lawless told the Boston Herald newspaper.

The actress insists she isn’t worried if people start tuning out of the program.

“And I absolutely encourage that because if they’re shocked by the first few episodes, it ain’t going to let up,” she said.

“But for the people who have the stomach for it, this is a bloody good yarn.”

Lawless plays the character of Lucretia, who owns the slave Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) with her husband, Batiatus (John Hannah).

“She does terrible things, but she does them out of desperation and need, which is how most people get involved in criminal activities,” said the 41-year-old. “She is venal, but she is also religious. She is full of contradictions, and my aim is to make her so real and so believable that the audience will say, ‘Yes, you know what? I can see myself doing the same thing if I was in her shoes.’”

“Really, I just feel like as long as it’s germane to the scene, it’s not offensive to me,” Lucy said of appearing topless and in explicit sex scenes.. “If it is relevant and historically accurate, then artistically it makes sense. People in ancient Rome had completely different relationships to people and their bodies and sexuality and the law and religion.”


Lucy Lawless & Renee O'Connor: Warrior Stars Of Xena 
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LUCY LAWLESS & RENEE O'CONNOR 2 FOR THE ROAD 2007 CONVENTION DVD