This story is in the National Enquirer, but they’ve had some Idol scoops this year and Mike Walker seems to kiss Ryan Seacrest’s ass a lot, so I’m betting they have decent insider information. American Idol has some kids who are normal-looking competing in the finals, and according to the Enquirer they’re “threatening to bring in personal trainers” and are “pushing for a few of them to shed some pounds.” They’re supposedly pressuring James Durbin and Lauren Alaina to lose weight, but have not said anything to gospel singer Jacob Lusk. He’s heavier than anyone (which really isn’t saying much in this case) but they haven’t been bothering him about it for whatever reason.
American Idol producers have warned some of the shows contestants they need to slim down – and they are threatening to bring in personal trainers to whip the pudgy performers into top form for the finale, sources tell the Enquirer.
“The execs don’t want a dumpy looking ‘Idol’,” revealed an insider. “They think that some of the contestants are a little too beefy, and they’re pushing for a few of them to shed some pounds.
“They want to make sure the winner will have a great look to go with the great voice.”
On top of the too-heavy hit list are James Durbin and Lauren Alaina.
“James was told to lay off fattening appetizers and beer in order to get rid of the spare tire he’s acquired,” divulged the insider, “but James [22] loves to eat big meals and constantly snacks on junk food…”
Lauren, 22, stopped eating breads and potatoes earlier in the season because she thought she looked heavy on TV, but now “Idol” honchos are asking [her] to forgo her favorite cheesecake and spend more time in the gym between rehearsals.
Like physically fit Stefano, finalists Casey Abrams, Scotty McCreery and Haley Reinhard don’t need to worry about dropping pounds.
And surprisingly insiders say gospel singer Jacob Lusk – who may be the chubbiest in the bunch – didn’t get a weight loss ultimatum…
“It would have been futile,” added another source. “Jacob would resist any attempt to remake himself into something he’s not.”
[From The National Enquirer, print edition, May 2, 2011]
We just heard that whole controversy about how a heavy woman was told that she would have to leave her front row seats at Idol because she wasn’t cute enough. I believed her story and a couple people there supposedly told her she wasn’t skinny enough to be in the front. So this story seems very plausible to me.
It’s ridiculous that they’re telling these kids to lose weight. The appeal is that they’re normal kids with talent plucked form obscurity (although that’s often not the case, some of them have been seasoned professionals) and people want to see “average” looking people win Idol. These kids are all very cute and attractive already, a few pounds here or there isn’t going to make a difference. The fact that they’re not telling Jacob to lose weight is just an example of Idol wanting their singers to look a part and giving him a pass because he draws comparisons to Luther Vandross. Vandross died of a damn heart attack at 54, and that’s why an employer should be concerned about their employee’s weight, but obviously this has nothing to do with health. (And really, none of these people needs to lose weight for health, although it could benefit most people, yada yada.) It does look like Jacob has lost a little weight recently, though. He looks thinner in more current pictures. (Gray jacket photo is from 3/14, blue jacket is from 3/3.)
Photo credit: WENN.com
I think Lauren is in her teens. Anyhoo, it’s a singing competition, not a beauty pageant. Leave them alone, they have enough pressure on them.
You know….they finally get some kids with actual talent and then the producers have to go and act like Hollywood morons. At this point I officially hate all the judges AND the producers. It’s becoming more than a little obvious who they think SHOULD win and how they plan to manipulate it into happening. Oh well, I guess one can just enjoy the singing and not expect anything else.
Think Lauren is fine–adorable and healthy looking, but James is FAT and lumpy…not to be mean, but he really does need to lose weight.
They all look good, but isn’t the point to be good at singing?
Ugh, tv weight standards are insane.
Well duhh, this is American entertainment. All participants are supposed to have white, shiny, perfect teeth and be at least one size smaller than what anyone would consider healthy for their body type-this applies to males and females, but mostly females.
I think it’s appalling that AI is putting this pressure on teens, who are so vulnerable in terms of their body images. Especially with the girls, this is a recipe for an Eating Disorder.
I am an admirer of the Karen Carpenters-that voice!-and I have always wondered if there was an event or event(s) that started her on that fatal road to anorexia and cardiac arrest.
This is a big deal-heads should roll on this one.
They are wonderful just the way they are. I hate it when these people pick natural talent, I mean we like them for who we saw originally and now they try to change them….for example Lauren they cake more makeup on her then anyone and she seems so subdued now…as if she is starting to get “conditioned”. She is not as spunky as she was in the beginning. And what’s with all the girls wearing hooker shoes? I am sure lots has to do with stress, anxiety, etc…which is understandable but really its all Hollywierd marketing…I hope this crew stays true to who they are…because they are great as is!
Lauren is adorable! She def doesn’t need to lose weight. I hate to see these producers pushing kids into feeling like they have to change themselves for success.
@CB – “It’s ridiculous that they’re telling these kids to lose weight. The appeal is that they’re normal kids with talent…and people want to see “average” looking people win Idol.”
I agree with you about this whole thing.
Unfortunately we all know how the industry works. Whomever wins (& is signed) is going to have to adhere to the same ‘image-centered’ ideal that everyone else has. I’m not at all surprised that they’re putting the pressure on them early.
Wanna-be artists are automatically judged on appearance when scouts are trying to decide how profitable they could be. It’s the ugly nature of the beast. =\
I always hated when Simon would cut down female contestants (and it was always ONLY female contestants) for not being super skinny, and have been delighted that there is none of that from the new judges.
I guess we can’t say the same about the producers.
they should pressure them to dress better.
If it’s true, then it’s sad. They are all fine just the way the are. But they should really do something about that Scotty’s eyebrows. They give me the creepies.
If anything, James has gained weight over the competition. He was looking really chunky this week. They probably aren’t pressuring him because they know he won’t win.
They are stupid as that stuff leaks out and gets them negative press. They should be smart enough to know better.
*sigh* I forgot who I was talking about. nevermind, carry on with out me.
They won’t make the obesity epidemic go away by telling a few kids to lose weight.
If they seriously wanted to change people for the better, they could set up some sort of AI academy with some small change of those huge profits they make, and have people involved with AI make some clever PSAs … but please without wagging a finger and acting all preachy.
One of the things I love about Lauren (besides her singing) is that she does seem like a normal, healthy, centered girl. Is she not skinny? No. But she isn’t fat, either.
If James is eating a lot of junk food and beer, there is cause for concern, not because he’s getting fat but because that’s a horrible diet–and I speak from experience. 🙂 But James in particular I think should take care of himself, and it has everything to do with health and nothing to do with the weight he looks, which in my opinion is perfectly fine and normal.
Jacob does look better. I’m loving this season, though. They’re all pretty awesome.
Ridiculous. If this was America’s Next Top Singing Model, I would understand.
@kazoo–Up until the top 24, the contestants are responsible for their own wardrobe. After that, they have a tasteless stylist that puts together the crap they wear. Sad huh.
they all look great and they might even lose their charm if they become skinny. as for why they didn’t approach the bigger guy – they probably think he is so hopelessly fat it can’t be undone.
@Nanea – “They won’t make the obesity epidemic go away by telling a few kids to lose weight.”
I’m sure making the world a better place is the last thing on these producer’s minds. It’s all about the bottom line, trying to make the contestants more ‘attractive’ to a wider audience… sort of like when they made Kelly Clarkson lose weight before her album was released.
I haven’t watched AI since the 2nd season… It just lost the ‘feel’ I’d fallen in love with, & became too… Well. They started overthinking everything. It was perfect the way it was originally.
I tend to agree with the producers. The ones who go on to some level of fame all end up losing weight anyway. I couldn’t imagine wanting to be successful and showing up for American Idol overweight in the first place. Not that I watch the show, it seems so middle america, like watching pageants and such.
Stupid! If they lose weight, their voice may change. Do we have to listen only to skinny singers? Barbie and Ken clones? Most of the singers I love are ugly as hell (being skinny or fat) but they have great voices and personality, and thats what really counts!
@TG…”It just seems so middle america, like watching pageants…”
That made my day. Possibly my week.
That’s going to be my excuse for avoiding AI and Toddlers and Tiaras from now on. Not that I don’t watch reality TV, or that I think that we’re dumbing down American TV to the lowest common denominator, but that *in the loftiest voice I can manage* “I find it so middle america.”
I’m going to have the giggles all day.
this is why i like the idea for the new show called the VOICE. it’s all about the voice and not the looks.
Yeah I agree. Screw the healthy life style. We are entering new era. When overweight people stopped being victims of judgment. And every person who insists that people need to be thin and live healthy life is basically a racist. And all the people who say: “Leave overweight people alone. They are beautiful. They don’t need to be thin and ugly” is a hero.
That’s the impression I have after reading all those articles and comments behind them. So screw it. I’m going to order 3 pizzas. And then I will drink it up with Cola. And tomorrow I will eat all the cookies and ice cream I’ll want. We should all look like Kirstie Alley or Gaboury Sidibe. All thin people are unhappy and sad because they always think about their weight. And all overweight people are smiley and happy because they don’t need to think all day about losing weight. You convinced me that eating for ten is a good thing. I’m going for my pizzas….
P.S. And those actors need to stop being racist. And be that thin all the time. They all should stop care about their weight. Can you imagine how beautiful would Edward, Jakob and Bella look if they wouldn’t be that skinny unhappy ugly people. If Bella would ride in her wheel chair (because her legs can’t carry her weight) and then overweight Edward comes in, kisses her and then thin Jakob comes in ans says: “I love you Bella” and she says to him: “Screw you. You are so thin and ugly. I love my Edward”. That movie would probably get like $500 millions at the box-office…. 🙂 Because we are in the new era where being thin is bad and being obese is good.
I was thinking the same thing this week when I saw Lauren wearing skintight jeans and her fat ass couldn’t maneuver the stairs, it looked embarrassing. It’s unhealthy to be so fat especially at such a young age. She has a great voice but she’s fat people. That’s a fact. These pictures must be her at an earlier time.
And I still can’t understand why that TV show “Huge” was canceled. The one with overweight teens in main roles. With Nikki Blonsky and David Hasselhoff daughter. They say that it’s because the ratings were so low. Which means that no one watched it. And the most funny thins that it was good show 🙂 I watched all episodes. I liked those teens and their characters. It was interesting to watch….
But no one else watched. How could it be? You mean overweight people who claim: “Leave us alone. You are skin and ugly and unhappy and we are happy and beautiful” didn’t watch show with people like them? That they go and watch Jersey Shore and Twilight with all those white skinny people? That overweight people are the first hypocrites out there? Because with all those words none of them dream to date overweight fellow teen or man. They all dream about skinny Pattinson or George Clooney or captain of the football team in their school or handsome and pretty and skinny fellow co-worker.
I totally believe this. I remember after Carrie Underwood won, she said she had been getting all this pressure to lose weight. It was upsetting to her because she was only a size 6 and she was being told she was too heavy.
She must have succumbed to some of the pressure, though. If you look at her now, she’s definitely smaller than she was on AI.
Lauren is actually only 16, not 22. She auditioned when she was 15 and turned 16 along the way. I wouldn’t call her “fat” (she seems like a genuinely sweet girl, and calling her “fat” I think is unnecessarily nasty) but I do think she should lose some weight. Not for her career or b/c producers tell her to, but for her own health. Overweight teens tend to have a harder time getting/keeping the weight off into adulthood. She’s also worn about 3lbs of makeup since the beginning–she’s like a mini-me of her obviously young and slightly crazed stage mom–so I don’t think that’s the producers/stylists fault. I wouldn’t be surprised if her mom put her in little pageants when she was little.
Now, does anyone else think she’s drugged when she’s on stage? She used to be so naturally bubbly and charming, and when she’s being judged or talking to Dame Seacrest she seems so spacy. I have a niece who has such an issue with public places she took some meds (valium I think) before my wedding (but still wound up with her head b/n her knees breathing into a paper bag as she was supposed to be walking down the aisle–lol). Are they feeding Lauren valium before each performance?
Lauren, James, AND Jacob should lose wight, they look very unhealthy to me! They’re not good role models and shouldn’t win on that basis alone!!
Come on! People are talking like these kids are obese! They are not, the two of them are a bit chubby and could stand to loose 10 pounds max, MAX! Did they really say Lauren is 22? She JUST turned 16. She’s a kid and an emotional one at that often crying during the results show. I’ve wondered before if it was a good idea to lower the age on the show to 15: the pressure on the contestants is humongous and the tiniest of perculiarness you might have will be scrutanised, amplified, dissected and criticized by the general media and all of the blogosphere and twitersphere and gossipesphere etc.. It’s a lot for anyone let alone a teenager. This is how you end up with all these Disney kids turning into complete self hating and destructive loonies when they turn 17/18. Talk to the kids about healthy eating habits and lifestyles yes, but dont pressure them into having low self esteem and negative body image: it can easily turn into a life long disease.
James has some sort of disability too.
Leave the kid alone…gee…
I’m assuming this will be the last year for Idol. Nobody cares anymore. Most of the winners fade into obscurity, and they’re so engineered by the Idol producers that they don’t resemble anything that they were when they were chosen at auditions in their cities. The judges are blah, the show is blah.. blah, blah, blah…..
IF this story is true, and it’s always a big “if” with these stories…the kids should continue to do what they do best..work hard, train, improve on their gifts and just stay healthy.
James will be knocking people out with his talent 40 years from now and the last thing we fans will be thinking about is his weight.
Just keep singing, James, and we will come….
I think the Enquirer article is BS. Look at some of the past Idol winners: Ruben (definitely hefty), Jordin (overweight at the time), Lee (chubby)…not to mention, they’ve had finalists like Mandisa and Scott Savol.
James doesn’t look overweight to me; he’s just not toned. Lauren has an ample rear (I can sympathize) but I wouldn’t call her “fat”. Jacob just has a very odd shape.
Oh give me a break! Another ploy of idols by using the media to hype up sympathy so their ratings go up! Thei whole year is such a joke, while they have some talent there has not been one performance that sticks out, but with the judges being cheerleaders instead of critiquing them and the media being bought up like TMZ & others they make it look like they really have something! LOL! Good luck, they lost me on the 2nd show!
Is the author of this article trying to infer that the seasoned prof is Adam Lambert. AI has their rules & Adam qualified. So drop the implications. Also these contestants are too young to be overweight. Teens should be exercising and watching their weight like anyone else. If they are 50lbs overwt at 17 my gosh what will they weigh at 27? Contestants don’t have to lose wt. & producers can’t force them. If they try then they should drop out of the competition. Kelly Clarkson was pressured after winning to lose wt and show looks like a skeleto. She finally told her label go FU.
That girl is cute as a button! What the! She doesn’t even have a gut, or if she does, she knows how to dress it. Honestly, AI has lately not had many contestants of color when you think about it, and they are probably frightened of singling Lusk out in any way. Either that, or the AI powers that be are just following the now-common subconscious thing in American culture wherein overweight Black and Latino folks, because within their own added cultures weight is more acceptable, are in turn more accepted by whites and Asians.
@ron, are you serious? a “professional” picked out this attire? man. LOL.
Lauren is slightly plump in a becoming way, nothing more. And I never thought James was fat – if he carries any extra weight, he does it well, because he is so tall. Anyway, he is always jumping in the air and running around the stage without sounding out of breath at all, so it seems like he’s in pretty good shape! Not to mention those amazing back bends. That said, he’ll probably be touring a lot in the future and could benefit from healthier eating habits. He’d have even more energy and could jump even higher!
I’m guessin they wish they were in that other show that doesn’t care what you look like.
Casey needs to majorly whiten his chops but the rest of the contestants rock!
Well I guess that means Jennifer Lopez should lose a few pounds herself. Her butt is huge!