'American Idol' Adds a Leg to The Judges' Table

Producer Simon Fuller acknowledged they were "turning the heat up" on the show. He said they were "thrilled" to add DioGuardi to the judges' table, because she is "smart" and "sassy." And, one of the country's "most successful songwriters."

To back up this claim, Fox noted that she is "Grammy-nominated." This is different from "Grammy-winning." That said, Fox said her songs have been recorded by actual Grammy-winning artists -- though they didn't win for her songs, it would seem.

The network listed a slew of them in its announcement, including Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Santana and Pink. Also releasing DioGuardi songs are such pop-lite-ers as Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Taylor Hicks, Bo Bice -- not THE Bo Bice?! -- Clay Aiken, Hilary Duff, Jessica Simpson and Enrique Iglesias. You may know DioGuardi from her songs featured in Disney Channel's "Camp Rock," or "The Cheetah Girls 3," or the Hannah Montana flick.

In an "interview" somebody allegedly conducted that popped up on Fox's Web site yesterday, and which was far zippier than the one she held in the afternoon with the actual reporters, DioGuardi said she found out she was in the running for the gig when "my agent called me and he said, 'You are on a short list to be the fourth judge on 'AMERICAN IDOL,' and I said, 'Are you calling for me or did you dial the wrong number?' They were, like 'No, seriously this is going on, this can happen,' and I was, like, 'there is no way they are going to pick me. Why wouldn't they pick someone famous? Someone everyone knows?' But, you know, I guess they saw something about me that they thought was good, and they wanted to put somebody who was from the industry on the show, and so I got the job."

By that, we think she may have meant that when a David Cook, or someone, rips off someone's cover of, say, "Billie Jean" or whatev, she would recognize it for what it was -- as opposed to the other three judges, who might rave about, among other things, his originality.

While none of the reporters on yesterday's phoner was brave enough to take on the age question, "Idol" host/radio DJ Ryan Seacrest jumped right in when he interviewed DioGuardi on his ayem talk show.

"It's great to bring youth with us to the show," Seacrest said by way of a smooth opening line.

"I think you think I'm younger than I am," she responded.

She insisted he guess her age. After a couple of wrong guesses, he asked, "Are you 40!?"

"Close," she said.

"Wow! You are old," said Seacrest.

A minute later, clearly thinking they are off the air, she is heard saying, "I'm 37."

And that, pookie, is what it's like to be a woman working in the entertainment industry.