Bits & Pieces: February 5, 2010

Herb Longs / Friday, 05 February 2010 00:43

NY Post: “American Idol” producers are eager to hire Howard Stern to replace Simon Cowell as the show’s tough-talking judge, sources tell Page Six. An insider said that producers of the hit Fox show say Stern, America’s highest-paid radio personality, is their top choice to take over from Cowell, who leaves at the end of this season. They approached the King of All Media after he repeatedly mentioned on-air that his exclusive Sirius XM Radio deal expires next January and he was open to other offers. Cowell was paid $50 million a year. Read more.

TMZ: It seems one high-pitched "American Idol" favorite is not who she appears to be -- at least when it comes to her accent -- because Nicci Nix has been on all sorts of reality shows before ... with a completely different voice. Nix -- who impressed the "A.I." judges with her helium sounding, Italian accented voice -- has appeared on at least 4 other reality shows before she got to "Idol" -- including "Fear Factor", "Next", "Making The Band" and "Date My Mom." When Nix appeared on "Fear Factor", not only did she go by another name (Nicci Palmeri) -- but she claimed to be from California and talked without the slightest hint of an Italian accent. The accent was also MIA when she appeared on "Making the Band" ... plus her voice sounded deeper back then too. Read more.

Remember when Adam Lambert signed a pair of Ellen Degeneres' underwear? The underwear was put up for auction on Ebay & bidding ended this morning. It sold for $8,500. The proceeds will benefit relief efforts from the Haiti earthquake.

E Online: First American Idol, then Brett Favre, now Carrie Underwood and Queen Latifah? What hath Larry Platt wrought?During a press conference in advance of their Super Bowl performances this Sunday, the superstar songbirds and (sorry, Peyton) New Orleans Saints supporters broke into an impromptu rendition of the viral (to everyone except the Vikings) sensation "Pants on the Ground." Read more.

Idol Chatter:Carrie Underwood gets her third Cosmopolitan cover for the magazine's March 2010 issue (where she appears right next to the words "How to Touch a Naked Man"). Carrie tells writer Ky Henderson that when some friends set her up with future hubby Mike Fisher, she insisted that she not meet him alone. "I made sure he came in with some other people," Carrie says. "I was, like, 'what if he's weird?'" Read more.

Idol Chatter: Kellie Pickler will return to the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday, Feb. 20. Danny Gokey is set to make his second trip to the show on Saturday, March 13. Read more.

Idol Chatter: Adam Lambert's For Your Entertainment album will be released April 26 in the U.K. The title track will precede it as a single by a week. Adam is schedule to make promotional visits there in March and April. Read more.