American Idol (season 9) spots of the season. Viewership for the Tuesday episodes averaged 22.974 million, while the Wednesday episodes averaged 21.951 million. American Idol (season 9) The ninth season of "American Idol" premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi returned to the judging panel. Ellen DeGeneres joined the panel as a replacement for Paula Abdul after guest judges filled in during the auditions. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was held on April 21, 2010, during the top seven results show. The top 24 semi-finals format used
American Idol Extra first exit interview is now conducted on "Live with Regis and Kelly". No other elements of this program have survived. Weekly segments include interviews with audience members who watched the performance show, interviews with past "Idol" contestants, a trivia contest, and a viewer question submitted by text messages from AT&T (formerly Cingular) subscribers. American Idol Extra American Idol Extra is a television show that was shown on the Fox Reality Channel and Star! and billed as "the show that picks up right where "American Idol" leaves off". The program featured the first full-length interview with the most recent eliminated contestant