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It was recently announced that American Idol host Ryan Seacrest has tripled his pay check with the reality show after he signed a new three year contract, making him exclusive to CKX for any TV work. CKX is the parent company of 19 Entertainment, which produces American Idol. If you are wondering how big triple is, it’s to the tune of a cool $15 million. If you do the math with the contract, Ryan just signed a $45 million deal! That may seem like a lot, but then again, he still isn’t making anything near what Simon Cowell rakes in. There’s still no word on the contracts of Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi or Paula Abdul though.

Allison Iraheta is the last woman standing on American Idol. How much longer can she stand amongst the boys? Despite winning accolades for her voice and a stage maturity beyond her years, the 16-year old may be a long shot to reach the final based on the voting patterns. She clearly has the star potential so what’s gotten her on the bottom three more than any of her rivals? Maybe it’s just her being an awkward and goofy teenager when she’s not singing. It goes without saying that the show has really turned into something more of a popularity contest rather than a talent show. Allison may be leagues better than some of the guys but those guys bring the popularity factor several times that of Allison’s.