American Idol is back!
Simon Cowell has returned to the States to once again take his seat on the judging panel of America’s No. 1 talent show, American Idol. The mission is simple: find the next US superstar!

American Idol is without doubt the most popular television show in the States where it airs on the FOX network. Last years American Idol came to a phenomenal conclusion when Kris Allen was crowned the winner during the live two-hour season finale.

During the show, a new record was set after almost 100 million votes were received following the finale performance episode and 624 million votes in total were cast during the course of the season – more than any other tally in the show’s history.

Now back for its ninth season, American Idol sees the triumphant return of not only Simon but also music-producer Randy Jackson and singer-songwriter Kara DioGuardi. They are joined by Emmy Award-winning talk show host Ellen DeGeneres who will be replacing Paula Abdul.

As an extra twist, guest judges will be joining the panel after the auditions and will feature appearances by world-class artists such as  Mary J. Blige, Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry, Shania Twain, Joe Jonas of The Jonas Brothers and our very own Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham.

Under careful guidance from host Ryan Seacrest, thousands of hopefuls – some good, some bad and some downright awful – will once again take their place in front of the judges in their quest to fulfil their dreams and be the next American Idol.