No longer satisfied with only a three-ring circus, the producers of American Idol have added a cast member to the eighth season that won't be auditioning. Songwriter Kara DioGuardi has been named as a fourth permanent judge on AI (unlike Mark McGrath or whoever they have filling in every once in awhile) along with the old stalwarts of Simon, Paula, and Randy.

Says the show's executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz. "We had originally intended for American Idol to have four judges. We've seen from our international series that having a fourth judge creates a dynamic that benefits both the contestants and the viewers." Deciphered, this means: "We know Kara's done some work at the Phoenix House, so we're hoping we can write off Paula's stay there as a tax-break."