'Idol' Gossip

Image credit: American Idol: Ray Mickshaw/FOX

WINNERS' CIRCLE Will ABC's broadcast embarrass (from left to right) Idols Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Diana DeGarmo, and Kelly Clarkson?

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When you think of American Idol-related scandals, maybe you think of Mario Vazquez dropping out, or the display of the wrong voting phone numbers for some contestants, or Anwar Robinson not getting voted off sooner. But there may be something even more scandalous going on behind the scenes of the Fox hit. That's the word from Variety, which reports that ABC's Primetime Live has been working for several months on an exposé of Idol, a report that the newsmagazine hopes to air during May's ratings sweeps month. ABC won't discuss the Primetime story, which is still being reported and verified, but the story reportedly concerns the relationship between Idol's judges and contestants.

Insiders tell Variety that ABC News has contacted Fox and Idol producers to alert them to its story in progress but has not asked them to respond to allegations raised by the reporting. The investigation marks a change from previous Primetime reports, which rode Idol's coattails by presenting lengthy, flattering profiles of various Idol-generated stars.

There's also no word on when the report may air, though Variety's sources say the story could take up the entire hour, making it a special episode that ABC might even use in some time slot other than its regular 10 p.m. Thursday home, where the newsmagazine typically faces bruising competition from ER and Without a Trace. The likely spot is Wednesday at 10 p.m. Which means that, as the Idol season approaches its climax, the broadcast could be timed to embarrass Fox by airing it on the same night as one of Idol's results episodes.