Janet Charlton's

HOLLYWOOD

A publishing source has been hearing rumblings that a former American Idol employee is shopping around a tell-all book could prove embarrassing to the show. The author claims that certain contestants are pre-selected “plants” and these “chosen few” bypass the usual process by skipping the early audition rounds and are ushered right to the front of the line. The former employee also says that contestants are strong-armed into singing certain songs. Producers know that if a contestant sings a song that’s not well known or appropriate for their style, they’re more likely to be voted off, so essentially they can control the voting process. Naturally Paula Abdul provides plenty of fodder – allegedly she travels with “two gallon size ziplock bags full of orange prescription bottles.” And that’s just the beginning.