American Idol 10 Top 40 rumours

American Idol 10

Although we're still just watching the auditions that took place in the Summer, the live finals will start in a few weeks' time and rumours are already circulating about which hopefuls have reached the later stages. I recognise some of the names but it's probably the case that if you blinked you will have missed some of them!

Here's the latest I can find, thanks to Hollywood Gossip:

Alex Ryan | Brett Loewenstern | Casey Abrams | Chris Medina | Thia Megia | Clint Jun Gamboa | Colton Dixon | DeAndre Brackensick | Jacee Badeaux | Jacob Lusk | James Durbin | Jerome Bell | Jimmie Allen | John Wayne Schulz | Jordan Dorsey | Jovany Barreto | Paul McDonald | Robbie Rosen | Scott McCreery | Stefano Langone | Tim Halperin | Tiwan Strong | Ashthon Jones | Brittany Mazur | Eryn Kelly | Haley Reinhart | Hollie Cavanagh | Jackie Wilson | Jessica Cunningham | Julie Zorrilla | Karen Rodriguez | Kendra Chantelle  | Campbell | Keisha Renee | Lauren Alaina | Lauren Turner | Naima Adedapo | Pia Toscano | Ta-Tynisa Wilson

Quite a mix of the very young, country singers that wouldn't look out of place in a 1970 edition of the show and a lot of very pretty girls. The Austin auditions brought a whole pile of cowboy hats and jeans into the mix and the 1 hour broadcast seemed far slicker with far fewer tedious background stories, 'it would mean everything to me's and pointless hopeless and tuneless hopefuls.

With Dallas set to return to our screens there were plenty in these auditions who'd make great extras in the new series.

Way too early to pick a winner or even those that'll make the cuts through to the live shows but Lauren Alaina, Jacee Badeaux, Thia Megia and Chris Medina have taken an early lead in the headlines. Good but not winning good from what I've seen. My guess is there'll be some surprises this year. John Wayne Schulz could be there too but the winner could well be someone who no-one knows much about and, unlike many of the favourites, doesn't yet recognise just how good they'll come across when their time comes to get the US mobile owners texting their numbes.