Smooth Operators

Haley Scarnato

Will Haley Scarnato win ''American Idol''?

Most Idol contestants crave positive feedback from the judges. But for Scarnato, one particularly harsh critique may have been the best thing that ever happened to her. In the last week of semifinals, Cowell said the 24-year-old Texan was so bland he couldn't even remember her name. ''There was a backlash from the public,'' says executive producer Ken Warwick. ''They thought that was overly rude, and she stayed in.''

But despite that — and her choices in clothing... or lack thereof — Scarnato hasn't had an easy time since: She's already logged major time in the back of the pack. ''Being bottom three the past couple of weeks, it doesn't get easier,'' she says. Especially when her hectic Idol schedule means she can't rely on her fiancé for support. ''He's here for three days and we can only see each other for 10 minutes each day,'' she says. And you won't hear Scarnato complaining about that curfew. ''I'm actually loving it because I'm so tired,'' she says. ''We were at this party last night and I was like, 'We have a curfew! I need to go!' ''

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