20 Hours With Jordin Sparks

3:35 Mandisa tells me she has been talking to Melinda Doolittle throughout her run on the show. They were backup singers together in Nashville. She is holding a copy of her new book and her new single. You gotta shill!

3:44 Constantine Maroulis and I discuss our very bizarre Delta flight from NY to LA on Sunday. He happened to be on my flight. Two men were taken off the plane by police for suspicious activity involving the bathrooms.

3:50 I get a big hug from season four's Mikalah Gordon after she realizes she and I had a really long phone conversation for AH.com a few months ago.

3:54 Jon Peter Lewis from season three tells me he too has an album out. Surprise. Surprise.

3:56 Jerry Springer meets Ian Benardo on the carpet. A circus act and the circus keeper. It could not be more perfect.

4:04 Stephanie Edwards predicts Jordin will win, "Jordin can blow. This is a singing competition" Chris Sligh who is standing with her picks Blake.

4:06 Phil Stacey says he will be part of the tour. He just found out two days ago his naval command will allow it.

4:07 Joely Fisher’s daughter gets all shy when she sees "High School Musical" star Zac Efron. Joely is embarrassed to admit she loves his piercing blue eyes.

4:09 Ruben Studdard and Jasmine Trias snap a photo together. Ruben is still huge. Didn't he go on some diet?

4:12 Jordin Sparks arrives wearing a black strapless dress. She has a bodyguard with her and says she can't get used to that.

4:13 Randy and Simon predict Jordin is the winner, "She must know she won" says Simon. David Hasselhoff interrupts them and tells them, "I'm not crying tonight I promise"

4:16 Teri Hatcher has to wait as we change tape

4:17 The Hoff hugs Taylor Hicks. He whispers something in his ear.

4:22 Paula looks like her face is swollen. Maybe from her fall over the weekend? She seems a bit off again.

4:19 Blake Lewis arrives and is ushered by the media.

4:23 Sanjaya hits the red carpet. He says it’s gonna be an awesome show. We have to ship him off after one question to make sure we don't miss The Hoff. San Man and The Hoff meet. Hoff is with his daughter and talks candidly about his recent troubles.

4:27 Jasmine Trias tells me she auditioned for Rent and High School Musical on Broadway and is waiting to hear back. I can totally picture her as Gabriella.

4:32 Carrie Underwood wins the worst dressed award in a gold strapless eighties Homecoming dance looking dress.

4:33 Jennifer Hudson arrives wearing glasses. She as usual blows off the media proving her diva attitude is still firmly intact.

4:58 I just sat in my seat up in the nosebleeds. Ian Benardo is in the fourth row! That little annoying crying girl Ashley Ferl is right behind him. I mean seriously how did they get prime seating? Give me a break.

5:32 The crowd goes crazy when Doug E. Fresh and Blake perform. Teri Hatcher is totally cute dancing and getting into it. She sits in front of Constantine who got moved from his seat by the crazy yellow bird lady. Jennifer Hudson gets into it too.

5:44 Ryan hugs Ashley Ferl. That girl has really worked her fifteen minutes of fame. It’s pathetic.

6:03 Anwar Robinson puts his arm around Vonzell Solomon during Carrie's performance of "I'll Stand By You."

6:05 Nap time as Clive Davis puts the audience to sleep with his self-promoting segment. Gross.

6:15 Simon actually stands for the African children's choir. He then sits after thirty seconds.

6:19 Lame! Green Day has been pre-taped so nothing is happening in the theatre. The audience looks bored.

6:26 During a commercial break a man comes out and says he has a surprise for someone in the audience. With cameras following him he walks up to Simon Cowell and says "Simon This Is Your Life." The audience claps and the camera cuts. Clueless to what the heck this is for I must investigate further.

6:30 As Taylor Hicks begins to sing the sole person standing in a theatre packed with 3000 people was Ace Young from the same season. About a minute into the song more people begin to stand.

6:40 Well, it’s not Britney Spears but it is someone with a B in her name, Bette Midler.
Actually make that B for Boring. This show overall is a snoozefest. I've stopped paying attention.

6:48 A tribute to Sgt. Pepper’s sung by the Idol winners. This is their big final number? Somebody put me out of my misery. This finale is a disaster. Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood? They have already all been on the show this year. Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight have been on Idol before. There is nothing fresh. What gives?

7:00 Jordin wins. A huge group of people get up to leave to beat the crowds

7:05 I spot the Hoff on his cell phone riding up the escalator wearing purple tinted sunglasses.

7:20 Bette Midler reveals that she was called 24 hours ago to come and perform. She hopped on a plane from New York and is headed straight back.

8:05 Still waiting for Jordin to come back to the winner’s walk to meet with the press. We get word it’s at least a half hour away.

8:30 Now we are being told Jordin is an hour away. My crew and I decide to bail. We will be with Jordin all day tomorrow. So there is no need to wait all night for her. I'm exhausted and am meeting her at 4:45am. I can only imagine how she must feel. My guess is she will get zero sleep tonight.

9:00 Watching "Lost" and then off to dream land for my 3:30am wake up call.

3:30am Wake up time. UGH!!!!!

5:08am Anthony Fedorov clad in shorts makes his way through the hotel to his car service to take him to the airport.

5:22 Jordin pulls up in her black suv. She tells me she has had two hours of sleep. Blake is here too. He has had forty five minutes of sleep.

5:30 Jordin and Blake do live shots with Fox affiliates non-stop. It's kind of chaotic and hysterical to see all these local news reporters in one place at one time.

7:38 Jordin's still going! Talking to a radio outlet right now.

8:07 Blake tells me about his dream last night during his 45 minutes of sleep that involved Phil, Brandon and a circus.

8:35 Jordin finishes her final interview and we dart over to the waiting limo. We chat for a long time in the limo about her experience while we drive to Access Hollywood.

9:42 Jordin takes to the Access stage and sings "This Is My Now". I get chills.