Songwriter Kara DioGuardi To Be Fourth American Idol Judge

She's written for or co-written with Santana, Jewel, Kelly Clarkson, David Cook, David Archuleta, Christina Aguilera, Celion Dion, Britney Spears, Pussycat Dolls, Avril Lavigne, Carrie Underwood, Natasha Bedingfield, Leona Lewis, Jonas Brothers, Kylie Minogue, Gwen Stefani, Enrique Iglesias, Ashlee Simpson, Jessica Simpson, Ricky Martin, Backstreet Boys, Faith Hill, Katharine McPhee, Taylor Hicks, Bo Bice, Lindsay Lohan, and Clay Aiken just to name a few. Now, Kara DioGuardi is set to be the fourth judge on American Idol.

Although Idol remains the top show on television, ratings are starting to slip from the average 30 million viewers a week to a mere 27 million (oh no!). Adding a new judge, especially a female judge, could create enough buzz to give the show the boost it needs. Does this mean Paula Abdul is on her way out? "We had originally intended for 'American Idol' to have four judges," says executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz. "We've seen from our international series that having a fourth judge creates a dynamic that benefits both the contestants and viewers."

Having another female judge will probably just make the show nicer, and a lot more boring. Mike Darnell of Fox commented, "For the past seven seasons, Paula has had to endure the experience of being the only woman at the judges' table. She's been an island of consideration and gentle criticism between Randy and Simon ... with Kara by her side, Paula final has some back-up and now there is going to be a lot more girl power on the show." Great, now Paula has someone to agree with her besides the audience when she picks out obscure things to compliment after a rough performance. The two are bound to be buddy-buddy; after all, they go way back. DioGuardi and Abdul co-wrote "Spinning Around", a hit for Kylie Minogue in 2000.

www.karadioguardi.com