The American Idol judges and emcee Ryan Seacrest were on Larry King Live last night to promote “Idol Gives Back,” the star-studded telethon-like episode that raises money for charity. Last year “Idol Gives Back” raised a whopping $76 million dollars and they’re hoping to top that this year. The money is distributed equally among charities in the US and Africa. This year’s “Idol Gives Back” edition was taped on Saturday and will air on Wednesday night. It includes a duet with Fergie and Hart, and performances by Miley Cyrus, John Legend, Annie Lennox, Mariah Carey, and Carrie Underwood. Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, and Robin Williams are among the many celebrity guests.

Larry King broached the subject of Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest’s rivalry, and Simon said that Ryan was like a mosquito in your bedroom at night. This is similar to what he said on the Oprah show in mid March, that Ryan was “like a mosquito in your face.” Last night he said “you don’t hate the mosquito,” but you obviously don’t find him relevant, either.

Simon compares Ryan to mosquito; Ryan says Simon just wants to be right
Ryan said that Simon just wants to be right all the time and not be questioned, and that he loves challenging him. Paula Abdul chimed in that that Simon is just jealous of all the publicity Ryan gets, like his recent Details Magazine cover:

KING:
All right, true or false that you, Simon, don’t like, Ryan?

COWELL: It’s like anything, there are times when I like him. There are other times, particularly on the show, where I find him annoying… I described him recently as like a little mosquito you have in your bedroom, which is after a while it’s oh, shut up. You know, it’s annoying. You don’t hate the mosquito, you just want it out of your face.

KING: How do you react to that?

SEACREST: Well, thank god I have thick skin after seven years of doing this show… Simon is obviously very, very good at what he does. And he has a great instinct and knows how to identify this talent and how to… And knows how to do his job well. But here’s — it’s not about me liking me or disliking me. It’s about being right. He just wants to be right…. So if he’s challenged, then he squirms a little bit.

KING: And you challenge him.

SEACREST: I love it. I love it. I don’t always…

COWELL: I don’t think it’s challenging.

SEACREST: Well…

COWELL: I think it’s getting in the way when you’re not invited…. I would never interrupt something you’re doing.

SEACREST: You know, it’s not necessarily about my opinion. I do question, sometimes, number one, you can’t understand him half the time when he’s on the air.

COWELL: Can I say something…

SEACREST: No. And I don’t have an opinion per se on the show.

COWELL: Exactly.

SEACREST: I ask you to clarify.

ABDUL: Actually, it’s a lot to do with you getting magazine covers and…

SEACREST: Well, there’s a little (INAUDIBLE)…

JACKSON: Yes.

KING: Oh, there’s jealousy?

JACKSON: Oh, jealousy. What a word, Larry. Please.

KING: Well, look, here’s the new issue of “Details.”

ABDUL: Solid. That’s solid.

JACKSON: Now, Simon and I were wondering…

COWELL: It’s like a conspiracy.

JACKSON: Yes. Yes.

ABDUL: You look (INAUDIBLE)…

JACKSON: Ryan, what is this like some maverick — this is some maverick cowboy thing, right?

SEACREST: What was the magazine they had back in your day that was like this?

COWELL: It was an angling magazine.

[From Transcripts.cnn.com]

King asked the AI panel about their thoughts on the top 8 singers, and they said that this year was the best ever and that most of the contests had originality and presence. [All quotes below from CNN transcript]

David Cook: A favorite and strong contender

JACKSON: He is definitely one of my favorites. I think he’s got a shot at winning the whole thing, this kid.

ABDUL: He’s amazing.

JACKSON: Love him.

COWELL: This is the guy I would actually choose to listen to on a personal level.

SEACREAST: Well, he certainly sounds like [the favorite] based on what the judges said but I think he also has sort of broken down the walls of this competition. He is not just a traditional pop artist. I like him.

Carly Smithson: Not enough personality

COWELL: I tell you the problem I have with Carly is I don’t think she knows who she is. I don’t think she — I don’t think you can listen to a Carly song and go, that’s who she is. Does this, does that. She’s a good singer but I think every artist has to know who she is.

JACKSON: He’s right. I have to give him trumps (ph) on that. He’s right, 100 percent right.

ABDUL: That’s her Achilles. She has an amazing voice.

JACKSON: She’s got an amazing voice but —

COWELL: She doesn’t know who she is.

ABDUL: You can’t deny it. But I don’t think, I think she picks songs that she thinks we’re going to, you know, approve… She is very talented and you’re too hard on her with her not looking like a star.

COWELL: You know what? I was actually directing my comments at the stylists. If you’re performing in front of 55 million people…

Michael Johns: needs to pick better songs

JACKSON: He’s a really talented guy. My problem with him is up until recently he’s been picking the wrong songs. He’s kind of like this bluesy, soulful — blue-eyed soul kind of singer but he always picks stuff that doesn’t allow him to do his thing. But this was good.

ABDUL: A lot of people started going oh, no.

JACKSON: He has a big voice.

KING: Simon, an American tennis player could win the Australian open. Could an Australian win “American Idol?”

COWELL: Why not?

JACKSON: Why not?

ABDUL: You know, he’s wonderful.

COWELL: I like this guy. Sometimes he’s a little like he’s auditioning for a spot as a lead singer a rock band.

JACKSON: Yeah.

COWELL: And then he gets it right when he does the whole kind of blues soul thing.

Brooke White: needs more drama in her songs and could hang in there

ABDUL: She puts her heart and soul into every song. America really connects with her. She’s got a very unique thing.

COWELL: I like her. She doesn’t have a governor. In other words she gets on stage and she says what’s on her mind without thinking about it, without being too much of a politician.

JACKSON: She is a pretty transparent as a performer. I just think that with her it’s about really picking the right songs. I mean, people have been comparing her to like the new Carly Simon folk movement. She’s just staying in that area to me. Anything outside of there is weird.

COWELL: I totally agree. Carly Simon – she’s great. Her problem is the last two weeks she’s been boring.

SEACREST: Do you think she has the skill set though to make it into the final three or four?

COWELL: With song choice, yes. She needs drama.

David Archuleta: The one to beat

JACKSON: I think David is really, really talented. He’s also ones of the ones to beat. I think his big thing though is he started out with a big splash. It’s about picking the right song…

SEACREST: I think he was right up here at the top of the crop and it’s hard to maintain that each and every week. That’s his challenge I think.

ABDUL: He’s been doing this for a long time. You know, when we were on the road I kept referring to him as the 16-year-old savant. He really has that presence. He knows who he is.

COWELL: He’s the one to beat, Larry. He really is.

KING: Not David Cook?

COWELL: You know, this guy is going to have the teen vote. He’s going to have what I call the granny votes. The kids love him.

Kristy Lee Cook: not a chance, but could get a recording contract

COWELL: The odds of her winning are one million to one.

JACKSON: Yes, I don’t think she’ll win but I think she definitely could have a recording contract somewhere down the road. She’d definitely make a good country girl.

ABDUL: And young girls really, really —

KING: Why are the odds so heavy, Simon?

COWELL: She has no chance of winning, Larry. I honestly — the trouble is, I mean, she does sound okay doing country music. She’s just not a great country singer, that’s the problem. It’s all about being invisible and forgettable.

Jason Castro: too laid back

JACKSON: I never said he’s going to win. He’s one of those guys that’s a singer/songwriter in the bar and you hear him and go oh, it’s a nice song. I like it. [Ryan points out that this is different from what Randy said on the show about Jason and Simon says that Ryan actually has a point.]

COWELL: I think this guy is all about song choice. When he same the Jeff Buckley (ph) song “Hallelujah” he was really good. The trouble is he turns up every week and he looks like he doesn’t care.

JACKSON: The thing is that that song “Hallelujah” is such an amazing song.

ABDUL: I think his whole demeanor is like the laid back type.

Syesha Mercado: Great voice, more of an actress/singer

JACKSON: With her I feel more like I’m looking at an actress singer as opposed to just a singer.

JACKSON: I feel that’s probably going to be her thing.

KING: Well, she’s done a lot of theater…

JACKSON: Yes, I think it’s going to be more of her thing.

COWELL: Yes, you’re right.

JACKSON: She’s got a great voice.

ABDUL: I think she has a pretty, beautiful voice.

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The AI judges took phoned in and e-mailed questions and were asked who was their favorite winner of all the previous seasons. Simon said Kelly Clarkson and everyone agreed.

Simon said there are at least two more seasons of the show coming up, but that he gets bored and hates the auditions. He said that the show “could last a long time” past this, and that “hopefully people don’t get too bored with us.”

As for who will get eliminated on Thursday, they all agreed that it would be Syesha or Kristy Lee Cook. Randy said he would easily give Kristy Lee a recording contract, so there will probably be another chance or two for her.

Here are the videos:
American Idol judges on Larry King Part 1
American Idol judges on Larry King Part 2
American Idol judges on Larry King Part 3
American Idol judges on Larry King Part 4
American Idol judges on Larry King Part 5
American Idol judges on Larry King Part 6
American Idol judges on Larry King Part 7
American Idol judges on Larry King Part 8