How did you feel about Randy (Jackson) saying popularity was a factor and Paula (Abdul) mentioning fan base?
I agree a little bit. I kind of started out on the show with some bad press. I don’t think it really helped me that much. Women vote for this show, it’s obvious, and they vote for the boys. The boys are adorable and they’re very talented, too. Everyone’s very talented, but I think it was definitely a bit of a struggle for the ladies. Q: Why do you believe the contestants were given a Broadway challenge? A: They’ve been wanting to do Andrew Lloyd Webber for a couple of years, and it finally happened this year. He is so incredible. I’m not sure Broadway was really anything challenging to any of us. You look at Mariah Carey — that was a hard week for everyone. But looking through Andrew Lloyd Webber’s songs, there was something for every person in the top six. Q: You mentioned that the judges were harder on you than others. How did you wade through that with your head above water? A: It’s nerve-racking; I’ve already been disqualified, and I had such a great audition in Las Vegas. And then
