'American Idol': No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal to Mentor Top 8 (Exclusive)

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Half of No Doubt will appear onAmerican Idol's next week as singer Gwen Stefani and bassist Tony Kanal will mentor the remaining finalists, The theme: '80s night, which is a perfect fit for the Orange County-bred band, who were not only teenagers during the decade but had a Top 10 single in 2003 with a cover of Talk Talk's 1985 hit, "It's My Life."

VIDEO: Nicki Minaj Says It Takes 'Guts,' 'Heart' to Compete on 'American Idol'

No Doubt is signed to Interscope, the label headed by Idol perma-mentor Jimmy Iovine. Stefani has appeared on Idol before, perhaps most memorably styling the season 10 contestants last year in her own L.A.M.B. line.

Q&A: Jimmy Iovine on Sound, Vision and Why He Signed Madonna and Van Halen

The band members spent five hours with the season 11 finalists Friday. As always, sessions took place at Interscope Records' Santa Monica recording studio complex.

Tune in to Fox on Wednesday to see how the Top 8 fare.

Twitter: @Idol_Worship

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'Mad Men' Star January Jones Discusses Betty's Season 5 Return (Video)

One of the few things Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner let slip about his series' Season 5 premiere was that star January Jones was not in it.

Pregnant at the start of the 2011 production, Jones taped episodes out of order to give birth to her son -- one reason why she was not in the two-hour opener.

She does, however, appear in Sunday's episode. Ahead of last week's premiere, The Hollywood Reporter spoke to Jones about where this season finds Betty and what it means for her marriage to Henry Francis (Christopher Stanley).

PHOTOS: 'Mad Men' Season 5 Premiere Red Carpet Arrivals

"I spoke with Matt before the season started about what we were going to do, because I had some physical things to work around," she said, referring to her pregnancy. "He came up with a great storyline for me this season. I'm excited for fans to see what Betty does. She's always growing."

Whether her choices take her in a good or bad direction, Jones thinks her character is learning from her mistakes. And one of them might be her second husband. AMC promos for the new episode, which only show the back of Jones' head, reveal that the situation hasn't much improved between Betty and Henry.

"I'm sure there is, but I don't know if she would know it it if she saw it," said Jones, when asked if there was a right man for Betty. "I think she has an idea of what is right for her and what would make her happy. but I just don't think she knows how to find that or acknowledge it when she sees it."

Betty has been, to say the least, a divisive character on Mad Men. Her mothering in particular has been a source of ire for fans since the series began. But Jones, closer to Betty than most anyone, says she still sees the good in her.

STORY: 'Mad Men' Returns to Record Ratings With Season 5 Premiere

"I think, more and more, as the seasons have gone on and Betty's grown and become more comfortable with her emotions and expressing them, she's become a darker character and a more unlikeable character for the audience," she said. "I'm attached to her. I don't agree with a lot things she does. But I feel I should defend her. I don't understand what she's doing a lot of the time, but I will giver her the benefit of the doubt that she's trying."

During a previous season hiatus, Jones costarred in X-Men: First Class as Emma Frost. When THR asked the actress if she'd be reprising her role in the upcoming sequel, she said, "They're still writing a script. I don't know if I'm in, but I would love to."

Watch the full interview below:

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Nicki Minaj Says It Takes 'Guts,' 'Heart' to Compete on 'American Idol' (Video)

Moments after Nicki Minaj took the American Idol stage on Thursday -- and sassed judge Jennifer Lopez from yards away -- the rapper and pop star stopped to talk to THR special correspondent and Idol season 9alumDidi Benami about television competition shows.

Asked if she was starting out today, would she try out forIdol,X FactororThe Voice,the "Super Bass" singer said matter-of-factly, "No, I wouldn't. It's very verydifficult to be picked apart. I have to give it to the people thatdo these shows -- it takes a lot of heart, it takes guts, that rejectionthing is heavy."

STORY: Nicki Minaj-Jennifer Lopez Feud Sparked on 'American Idol' Stage

And since she was catapulted to fame on her own (with a big assist from Lil Wayne), how will she quantify success of her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, which is scheduled for release on April 3?

Says Minaj: "I'm blessed to put out an album that is not one-dimensional. I'm not boxed in, the world has given me the opportunityto express myself in lots of different genres of music. ...I'm truly showing myself, as oppose to feeling I haveto do this because someone says I have to do this. That's how Imeasure success."

Watch more of her interview with The Hollywood Reporter in the video above.

Twitter: @Idol_Worship

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Sara Rue Joins NBC's Jimmy Fallon Comedy Pilot (Exclusive)

John Sciulli/Getty Images for City of Hope

Sara Rue

Sara Rue has landed her second gig this pilot season.

The former Popular and Less Than Perfect star has been tapped to guest star in NBC's Jimmy Fallon comedy pilot, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively.

The multicamera comedy revolves around three thirtysomething guys (Jesse Bradford, Anthony Anderson and Zach Cregger) who enjoy the adventures of parenting despite the fact that they haven't grown up themselves.

In the project, currently titled Guys With Kids, Rue will play Sheila, the ex-wife of Bradford's character, described as an attractive, controlling, ambitious perfectionist divorce attorney who shares custody of their 9-month-old son.

STORY: TV Pilots 2012: The Complete Guide

Rue replaces the previously cast Courtney Henggeler in the pilot.

Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Tempestt Bledsoe co-star in the Universal Television project. Charlie Grandy will write and executive produce the comedy alongside Fallon, Amy Ozols, Rick Wiener and Kenny Schwartz. Scott Ellis will direct the pilot.

For Rue, the Fallon comedy is in second position to ABC's comedy pilot Malibu Country, starring Reba McEntire as a woman who moves from Nashville to Malibu with her mother and three kids after she finds her rock star husband cheating on her. Rue will play Kim, Reba's new neighbor.

The actress is repped by APA, Alan David and attorney Mark Wetzstein.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit

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'X Factor's' Simon Cowell Promises 'Punched Up' Season 2 Focusing on Pop Groups (Video)

SimonCowellspeaks very highly of the changes he's making on The X Factor'ssophomore season. In new video released by Fox, the executive producer and judge says the changes are for the better and he describes what he'll be focusing on as far as talent during next season's auditions.

PHOTOS: The 'X Factor' Finale High and Low Notes

Cowell believes that change is a good thing and says that Paula Abduls replacement was based on the feeling that their relationship was too reminiscent of their time together on AmericanIdol.

Regarding the replacement of host Steve Jones, he says, "I think what I learned was you need Americans to host the show. Besides that, Cowell has said that hes set on giving the job to a male-female duo.

And of course, Cowell is aware of the inceasing popularity of shows like NBCs The Voice and says thats one of his motivations for shaking up next season.

VIDEO: Simon Cowell Addresses 'X Factor' Judges Search, Britney Spears' Potential Deal

We have to be very competitive, Cowell says. Because there is a lot of shows out there and they've been very competitive with us so [the changes are] going to end up as a punch up.

"It will be different, it will be better in my opinion, it will be more controversial, he also says. It will be the show I always wanted to make and now I have the ability to do it."

Auditions for next season are currently underway and Cowell says that despite the fact that the groups were the first to be eliminated last season, the tide is turning in their favor. He says he'd like to focus on finding pop groups likeDestiny's Child,Spice Girls,N-SyncandBackstreet Boys.

"My job as running a record label is to spot the next trend in the market, and absolutely 100 percent the next 12 months were all going to be about pop groups. It's going to be a massive, massive wave all over again and that's what I want to find on theX-factorthis year."

Watch the video above.

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'American Idol': No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal to Mentor Top 8 (Exclusive)

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Half of No Doubt will appear onAmerican Idol's next week as singer Gwen Stefani and bassist Tony Kanal will mentor the remaining finalists, The theme: '80s night, which is a perfect fit for the Orange County-bred band, who were not only teenagers during the decade but had a Top 10 single in 2003 with a cover of Talk Talk's 1985 hit, "It's My Life."

VIDEO: Nicki Minaj Says It Takes 'Guts,' 'Heart' to Compete on 'American Idol'

No Doubt is signed to Interscope, the label headed by Idol perma-mentor Jimmy Iovine. Stefani has appeared on Idol before, perhaps most memorably styling the season 10 contestants last year in her own L.A.M.B. line.

Q&A: Jimmy Iovine on Sound, Vision and Why He Signed Madonna and Van Halen

The band members spent five hours with the season 11 finalists Friday. As always, sessions took place at Interscope Records' Santa Monica recording studio complex.

Tune in to Fox on Wednesday to see how the Top 8 fare.

Twitter: @Idol_Worship

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Cissy Houston Slams Media in First Interview Since Whitney Houston's Death (Video)

Cissy Houston is breaking her silence.

The 78-year-old Grammy Award-winning gospel singer sat down for an exclusive interview with New Jersey-based My9 television network, to air Monday. Speaking with Brenda Blackmon, Houston slammed the media as awful in their coverage of her daughter Whitney Houston's untimely death.

"All they know is what they hear, bad things, shes had her ups and downs. Who hasn't?" she said. "Let them think and know what they want to say I just hope they never come and say it to me."

The interview was conducted during a gospel rehearsal at the New Hope Baptist Church where Whitneys funeral was held. The pre-taped segment is set to air during the 10 OClock news on channel nine.

Whitney was found submerged in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton on Feb. 11 just hours before she was scheduled to appear at Clive Davis annual Pre-Grammy gala. The death was ruled to be an accidental drowning, though an autopsy found cocaine in the 48-year-olds system.

"I know I did the best I could," Cissy said of her daughters upbringing. "I dont blame myself. I know I did the best I could for everything."

Watch a preview of the new interview below.

Exclusive: Cissy Houston's First Interview Since Whitney's Death: My9TV.com

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