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"American Idol" recap: Introducing the Top 24

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ABC/Eric McCandless(LOS ANGELES) — The road to the Top 24 continued on Monday night’s episode of American Idol.

Judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie continued to break the good and bad news to the contestants as they each participated in the Showstoppers round of the competition. 

Those who make it to the Top 24 will move on to the All-Star Duets & Solos round where A-list artists will join the contestants as they try their hardest to make it into the Top 16… and the live shows. 

The guest artists include Idol season five runner-up Katharine McPhee, Jason Aldean, Tori Kelly, Ben Rector, Jimmie Allen, Joss Stone, Brian McKnight, Jewel, Incubus singer Brandon Boyd, Maroon 5’s PJ Morton, Josh Groban and Ryan Tedder.

Each star will be paired with two American Idol hopefuls and will perform with each of them separately. 

Here’s who made it to the Top 24 and who was eliminated after Monday’s episode.

Top 24:
Alanis Sophia
Casey Bishop
Mary-Jo Young
Hunter Metts
Deshawn Goncalves
Colin Jamieson
Ava August
Liahona Olayan
Madison Watkins
Alana
Anilee List
Cecil Ray
Willie Spence
Grace Kinstler

Eliminated:
Ronda Felton
Althea Grace
Funke Lagoke
Laila Mach
Drake McCain
Emisunshine
Lizzy O’Very
Camille Lamb

American Idol returns Sunday, April 4 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

By Danielle Long
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The motel from 'Schitt's Creek' is for sale

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CBC(ONTARIO, CANADA) — For fans of the everything-winning comedy Schitt’s Creek, here’s a chance to own a piece of TV history: its Rosebud Motel.

More specifically, Orangeville, Ontario’s Hockley Motel, the real-life lodging used as the hit Canadian show’s exterior, is now up for sale for a little more than $1.6 million. 

According to the series, Eugene Levy’s once wealthy character Johnny Rose buys the entire town of Schitt’s Creek as a joke, thanks to its name. But in the pilot, his spoiled family — played by his real-life son Dan Levy, Catherine O’Hara as Johnny’s wife Moira, and their daughter, played by Annie Murphy, all Emmy winners thanks to the series — are forced to live at the town’s motel when they’re swindled out of their fortune.

Needless to say, it’s not an easy transition.

According to the listing, the 10-room property sits on 6.7 acres, “surrounded by nature, including Nottawasaga River – a highly desirable fishing river for Rainbow Trout and Salmon.” There’s also a separate cottage on site for a potential property manager.

While the motel isn’t operational, the realtor suggests, “A new owner has the ability to create something special on the Site, capitalizing on new travel trends following COVID-19.” The listing agent adds, “It is anticipated travelers will be valuing safety and cleanliness as well as unique experiences to enjoy nature and the outdoors.”

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Rugby match hang out reportedly spoils Russell Crowe's appearance in 'Thor: Love and Thunder'

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Waititi, Hemsworth, upper left; Crowe bottom – Cameron Spencer/Getty Images(AUSTRALIA) — Seeing Russell Crowe at a rugby match is nothing new — he’s an owner of the South Sydney Rabbitohs club — but when he was spotted at a match with director Taika WaititiNatalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth in Australia Saturday, it created a buzz.  It also spoiled a surprise.

Oscar-winner Waititi is currently in Australia shooting Thor: Love and Thunder with the stars, and seeing Crowe sitting with that gang at a recent Rabbitohs match in Australia led to the revelation that Crowe has apparently agreed to appear in a small part in the fourth Thor film, according to Deadline.

It’s not known who the Gladiator Oscar winner will be playing, but Waititi’s previous Marvel Studios installment, the blockbuster Thor: Ragnarok, featured some surprise celebrity cameos: Matt Damon played Loki in a play within the film, with Hemsworth’s actor older brother, Luke, playing his brother’s God of Thunder. Sam Neill, who starred in Waititi’s film The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, portrayed Anthony Hopkins’ character, their father, Odin.

Regardless of the role’s size, it will be Crowe’s first job in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He previously portrayed Superman’s Kryptonian father, Jor-El, in Man of Steel, part of the Warner Bros. superhero movie catalog.

Thor: Love and Thunder, which also stars Tessa Thompson and Christian Bale — the latter another DC Comics veteran, for his critically acclaimed turn as Batman in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy — is set to open February 11, 2022.

Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News.

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

After nominees balk, Oscars reportedly easing "no Zoom" policy for ceremony

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AMPAS/ABC(LOS ANGELES) — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently released some rules about its April 25th ceremony, including a missive that nominees need to be there in person.

“[W]e feel the virtual thing will diminish [our safety] efforts,” the show’s producers said in a note to nominees at the time. 

However, after pushback from those not able — or willing — to travel under current COVID-19 conditions, the Academy Awards producers have apparently relented, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The trade publication notes that increased COVID-19 infection rates in Europe and in other areas have led to the change in course.  Nominees have been invited to a Zoom meeting with producers Tuesday morning, during which they’ll be told they’ll be able to join the festivities remotely if need be.

The Oscar telecast will be held in part at Los Angeles’ Union Station, and strict safety rules will be enacted to ensure participants’ safety.

The show’s producers, which include Django Unchained Oscar nominee Stacey Sher and Traffic‘s Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh, announced there will be a pre-show gathering in the courtyard of the venue. Unlike past years, though, the public won’t be able to watch the proceedings, since only nominees and their guests have been invited to attend.

The 93rd Academy Awards air Sunday, April 25 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

After Kate McKinnon dropped out of 'The Dropout', Amanda Seyfried to play disgraced tech CEO Elizabeth Holmes

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Jun Sato/WireImage — Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Amanda Seyfried will now play disgraced tech CEO Elizabeth Holmes, in the Hulu limited series The Dropout, ABC News has confirmed.

Based on an ABC News podcast of the same name, the project initially had Saturday Night Live‘s Kate McKinnon playing the controversial figure, as well as co-producing. She exited the project in February. 

Seyfried, fresh off her Oscar nomination for her work in David Fincher’s Mank, will also now produce the limited series.

Holmes dropped out of Stanford University in 2004 and founded the high-tech health company Theranos. Modeling herself in the image of the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Holmes raised billions and attracted headlines worldwide based on false claims her company’s technology could test for a spectrum of diseases with just a few drops of blood.  However, whistleblowers soon exposed that the gadget never worked, endangering those who relied on its results in lieu of more traditional scans for cancer and other diseases.

The massive scam made Holmes a billionaire, but she was ultimately indicted on nine counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.