Kristy Lee Cook News

It took many weeks and many barbs from Simon Cowell, but Kristy Lee Cook was finally voted off American Idol last night.

Do you think viewers made the right choice in eliminating Cook at this point?

Joining Kristy Lee in the bottom three vote getters last night were Brooke White and Syesha Mercado. We'll see how they perform next week, but these two finalists would appear to be next in line for elimination.

Take a look at Brooke White and Kristy Lee Cook in the photo below.

What could be making these American Idol finalists so angry? Actually, it's just a new promotional video for the show.

We're not sure what the premise of the spot is, but we're guessing viewers will find out this week. For now, we're just gonna leave Brooke and Kristy alone...

Relax, Brooke White and Kristy Lee Cook. You're American Idol finalists.

Kristy Lee Cook might not be old enough to be classified as a "cougar" just yet. But, based on the photo below, the American Idol finalist already has been one:

For classic pics of  Kristy, visit TMZ now.

As the top 24 contestants on American Idol begin singing for their reality show lives tomorrow night (voting is now on you, viewers), USA Today is running a feature that outlines the professional backgrounds of a few finalists.

Perhaps in response to the timid album sales of Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis, American Idol has passed a quintet of supposed ringers on to the finals, those that have actually had a recording deal with a label in the past. But that's a negative in the eyes of many.

"The reason I watch is to see someone journey from nowhere to stardom," Kevin Kotke, a fan from Milwaukee, told the newspaper. "The only kind of record a contestant should be able to claim is the $5 self-published kind from the mall."

But Season 7 contestants can claim quite a bit more than that:

• Carly Smithson recorded for MCA, which lavished more than $2 million on her debut album, then dumped her when it sold poorly.
• Kristy Lee Cook signed with Britney Spears' production company in 2001.
• Michael Johns' band, The Rising, was dropped by Madonna's Maverick label.
• Robbie Carrico sang with Boyz-N-Girlz United, an Orlando boy/girl band.
• David Archuleta won $100,000 on Star Search in 2003.

While some fans are bothered by this sort of experience, American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe says the flap "is a storm in a teacup… Let's just let the stories unfold."

He adds that show rules require only that contestants not be currently under contract: "We're looking for 'great,' and, yes, those people in all likelihood have had dealings with the industry before."

What do you think? Should American Idol contestant be wholly undiscovered?