Credit: Michael Becker/FOX.

Many “American Idol” experts felt it was a foregone conclusion that Phillip Phillips would win the show’s eleventh season, but if things had gone a bit differently, the  21-year-old pawnshop worker from Georgia might not have been around to win at all.  He told reporters Thursday in a phone press conference that he considered dropping out due to his ongoing health problems.

Phillips’ dad told People magazine that over the course of the competition, his son had no less than eight different operations and he needs another one.  Phillip told reporters, “You know, I had some bad days and I had some pretty good days. It was rough at times, and there were a couple times I thought about just dropping out to get the surgery done but the doctors helped me out a lot.”

So what’s wrong with him, exactly?  Phillip told reporters Thursday, “My right kidney just kind of isn’t functioning, and I have a stent in to help with that.”  Phillip said he’s not  sure when he’ll have surgery again, but he expects to be back to “100-percent” by the time the “Idol” tour starts.

Speaking about his victory, which he claimed he never saw coming, Phillip said he feels any girl who voted for him just because he’s good-looking doesn’t really care about his music.  “I’m all about the music,” he said. “I’m not trying to be some cute guy who’s trying to be successful off that. I really want the music to come first, and I really want people to try to feel it and have fun like I do with it.”

Phillip also made it clear that it was important to him to stick to his guns artistically during the competition, and do the kind of music that he wanted to.  Explaining why he often ignored the originally melody of songs and completely rearranged them, he said, “I wanted to get the world ready for what kind of album I want to put out and, you know, I can’t be doing something that’s not me.”

Something else that’s not him?  His coronation single, “Home.”  Despite raves from ”Idol” critics and fans alike, Phillip said he doesn’t really consider the track to be his “first single.”  “It was a little too pop for me,” he told reporters.  “I really don’t put in any ‘Ooh, ooh, ooohs’ [in my songs].”  He added, “It’s a very good song, you know, and I’m glad people like it, but I guess I’m  little more rock than that.”  In fact, he wanted to put out one of his original songs, but he said he wasn’t able to get it together, time-wise.  He describes his music as “jazz-rock stuff.”

The newly-minted champ also commented on rumors that Jennifer Lopez might be leaving the show next season.  “That would be horrible,” he said.  “You know, she’s done this for years and she knows her stuff and she cares about each one of us and she’s a great woman and, you know, hopefully she stays.”

Danny Moloshok/AP Photo

Jim Parsons, who plays lovable, clueless geek Sheldon Cooper on the hit CBS TV series “The Big Bang Theory,” has been revealed to be gay in a recent newspaper profile.

The New York Times profile on Parsons, 39, who is currently starring as Elwood P. Dowd in a Broadway revival of “Harvey,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy that was also a hit 1950 film starring Jimmy Stewart, casually mentions that “Mr. Parsons is gay and in a 10-year relationship.”

Parsons never discusses his sexuality in the Times profile. His representative had no additional comment when reached, according to People magazine.

Parsons, who took home the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2010 and 2011, spent last summer on Broadway as well, portraying Tommy Boatwright, a young gay activist in Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart.” He is slated to reprise the role in an upcoming film adaptation of the award winning play.

The Times’ revelation may not be news to some of Parsons’ avid fans, who note that during awards acceptance speeches he regularly thanks his reported partner, Todd Spiewak, with whom he is often photographed.

Michael Becker/FOX

Richard Rushfield, author of the book American Idol: The Untold Story, points out that for the past four years, America has handed the Idol title to a cute dude who plays the guitar — a trend that Idol pundits call the “White guy with a guitar” or “WGWG” factor. According to Rushfield, since America crowned David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze and Scotty McCreery, there’s no reason why they won’t do it again, which means a Phil Phillips victory.

“Jessica cannot win,” he says definitively. “Unless there is some sort of act of God comes down, the cute white boy dynasty seems well entrenched. Any smart betting person would have to guess that having done this four times, they will do it a fifth.”

But why? The Idol audience has crowned female contestants before; and at least two of those female winners — Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson — have been among the Idol winners with the most successful post-Idol careers.

But Idol voters aren’t thinking like record producers, according to Rushfield. “You have this alliance between young girls and grandmas and they see it, not necessarily as a contest to create a pop star competing on the contemporary radio, but as…who’s the nicest guy in a popularity contest,” he says, “And that has led to this dynasty of four, and possibly now five, consecutive, affable, very nice, good-looking white boys.”

“Packer Nation didn’t do it by itself,” Driver said today on “Good Morning America.”  “America took care of it for us.”

PHOTOS: ‘Dancing’ Stars Take Over Times Square

Driver, 37, and professional partner Peta Murgatroyd walked away with the show’s coveted mirror-ball trophy Tuesday night after 10 weeks of intense competition and a tightly contested final.

Driver and Murgatroyd earned a perfect score for their cha-cha in the final show but credit the perfect “10″ they received from judge Len Goodman for their country-themed freestyle dance the night before with putting them over the edge.

“That [scoring a "10" from Goodman] was another challenge that I had to fight,” Driver said.  “I had a great partner.  She pushed me through it and said, ‘We’re going to get that “10″ from Len,’ and we got it on the freestyle.”

“I think we made a really good choice,” Murgatroyd said.  “We went all out with the country and did something different and it suited Donald to a tee and they loved it.”

Driver and Murgatroyd appeared live today on “GMA” along with the season’s second and third-place finalists, Katherine Jenkins and William Levy, and their professional partners, Mark Ballas and Cheryl Burke, respectively.

The six flew overnight from Los Angeles immediately after the finale ended in order to arrive in New York for the “GMA” DWTS after-party live in Times Square.

“I think right now we’re all a bit relieved and exhausted and happy and have many emotions right now,” said Jenkins, who suffered a back injury during her run on the show.  “Certainly, I didn’t expect to get as far in the competition as this so I think it really does kind of get to you and being in the finals was a huge thing and, yeah, very emotional.”

Also experiencing high emotions was the young son of third-place finisher, and telenova star, William Levy, who was seen on camera inconsolable when his dad failed to win.

“He cried for like an hour,” Levy said on “GMA.”  “I just couldn’t find words to tell him, ‘It’s all right, you know.’”

Levy was a fan favorite all season, especially among the ladies who loved his soap opera good looks.  His partner, “DWTS” veteran Cheryl Burke, said there is more to Levy, however, than meets the eye.

“It wasn’t just about his good looks. He has real talent,” Burke said.  “He knows how to move his hips naturally so I felt like that’s what we really needed to focus on, his real talent, in the show. He’s more than just a pretty face.”

Driver was announced as the winner Tuesday night after each pair performed a dance to music they had received only 24 hours before.  The NFL wide receiver, 37, jumped in excitement, rolled on the floor, hugged his dance partner and told host Tom Bergeron winning felt “amazing.”

“I was on fire so I had to roll around and get the fire out,” said Driver, the third NFL star, after Emmitt Smith and Hines Ward, to be crowned the “DWTS” champion.

“I think Len said it already, I’m the best dancer,” he said of being compared to his fellow NFL champs.

Driver, a member of the Packers’ 2011 Super Bowl championship team, said he plans to slip out of his dancing shoes and back into his football  cleats for team training this weekend, where he expects at least a little ribbing from his non-dancing colleagues.

“I’m the old man of the bunch so they’re not going to try me too hard, but a couple of the guys will try me,” he said.  “I missed it.  I can’t wait to get back.”

Michael Becker/FOX

The big finale for “American Idol” Wednesday night will feature the usual mix of legendary artists and current pop stars, as well as several tributes to the big names in music we’ve lost recently.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the female finalists will pay tribute to the late Donna Summer with help from R&B and disco icons Gloria Gaynor, Thelma Houston and Gladys Knight, as well as Nelly Furtado, Sheila E., Jennifer Holliday and Kristin Chenoweth, the latter of whom will sing the Barbra Streisand/Donna Summer duet “Enough Is Enough” with Jessica Sanchez.  The girls will also perform with Chaka Khan later in the show.

The male finalists will perform songs from the Bee Gees, in honor of the late Robin Gibb, who died on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Creedence Clearwater Revival rocker John Fogerty — two of whose songs were performed this season — will duet with Phillip Phillips, while country icon Reba McEntire will sing with Skylar Laine.  Joshua Ledet will perform with former “Idol” champ Fantasia, creating the long-awaited “Mantasia” mash-up.  Another former “American Idol” champ Jordin Sparks will duet with Hollie Cavanagh on a Broadway show tune.

In addition, legendary crooner Neil Diamond will perform a group number with the boys, and Jessica will join Jennifer Holliday for another round of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” which Holliday originated in the stage musical version of “Dreamgirls.”

As previously reported, Aerosmith and Rihanna will also entertain during the blowout finale, which will see either Jessica or Phillip crowned the “American Idol” champ.

“Dancing With the Stars” pro Louis van Amstel blogs on season 14 of “DWTS.” The three-time world dance champion and creator of LaBlast fitness-based dance DVD workouts starred on seven seasons of the hit ABC show and weighs in on the dances, the judges scores and who will be eliminated. You can find him on Twitter @LouisvanAmstel.

I so enjoyed the finale.  From the production to the performances by eliminated celebrities to the video packages, it all made for an absolutely amazing show. In many ways, the best show ever.

Can I just tell you how Gladys Knight singing “The Way We Were” got me so choked up?  The beauty of her voice during the video package of the top three and seeing the appreciation on the celebs’ faces was such a memorable moment for me. So sincere, heartfelt and true.

All three finalists and their pro partners have crafted such fabulous performances this season.  They all deserved to win. I think the final victory by Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd came down to the public vote.

As for the final dance, I have some thoughts to share; not to be the downer but just to give my opinion from a dancing point of view.

As much as I said that William Levy lacked a little energy in his first round dance yesterday, he totally nailed his last Salsa. In my opinion, he won the last round. Katherine Jenkins was awesome.  Donald was great, but in the first part of his Cha Cha you could tell that he was in his head. Donald totally got into it halfway through, but William was energized and eating up the dance floor from the beginning.

Nevertheless, I’m very happy for Donald and Peta. He came here on a mission and he took that trophy.

All three couples left everything on the dance floor tonight.  I can honestly give 10 reasons why each of the season 14 finalists deserved to win.

To Donald, Katherine and William, it was such a pleasure meeting each of you in person.  You guys were awesome as dancers and even nicer as people inside and out. America saw that and put you in the final.

To Peta, Mark and Cheryl, in my opinion, this was your best season as pros yet. Your personalities were warm and encouraging throughout the entire season. I love you guys!

I hope you enjoyed my blogs for Goodmorningamerica.com.  Hopefully I’ll be part of the All-Star season! Season 15, can you believe it?

Enjoy your summer!

Love,

Louis

Visit www.lablastfitness.com for more info about Louis Van Amstel, LaBlast or to find out how to get his DVD workout series.

In the first round, the two finalists sang Idol creator Simon Fuller’s song choice. For round two, the contestants sang their favorite song of the season. Finally in the third round, Jennifer and Phillip performed the song that would be their potential future single if they were named the new American Idol.

Here’s what happened:

Jessica went first singing, Simon Fuller’s choice — Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing.” It was a big reminder of Jessica’s powerhouse performance of Whitney’s “I Will Always Love You” from earlier in the season.

Phillip was given Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me” for the first round, and he turned it into a gentle, acoustic singer/songwriter ballad.

Weighing in on the first round, Jennifer said it was tough to judge since Jessica and Phillip were pretty much opposites. Randy thought Jessica was the winner in round one.

Before round two got underway, Jason DeRulo came onstage to sing “Undefeated,” the song he’d been writing with “Idol” fans online as part of the Coca-Cola Perfect Harmony contest.

Starting round two, Jessica revisited Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli’s “The Prayer,” the song that earned her a spot in the top 24. It was a powerful performance backed by a full orchestra.

Phillip went with “Movin’ Out” by Billy Joel for round two. It was a moody and strong performance, but it lacked the “wow” factor of Jessica’s offering this round.

As for that round, Steven thought Jessica took round two as well. Randy called round two a dead heat, but Jennifer went with Phillip on this one.

Jessica kicked off round three singing her potential winning song, “Change Nothing.” It was a pop power ballad, and Jessica really shined on the big chorus. Randy didn’t love the song, but he thought Jessica made the most of it. Jennifer thought Jessica sang the song really well, but she wanted more soul from Jessica’s debut album. Steven didn’t like the song either.

Phillip’s potential winning song “Home” featured intricate finger picking on the guitar and felt like something Mumford & Sons might record. A low key marching band joined Phillip onstage towards the end of the song. It was a much better fit for him as an artist than Jessica’s song “Change Nothing.”  The judges gave Phillip a standing ovation. Randy loved the song and called it the best performance of the night. Jennifer loved how different the song sounded and called it a “Phillip Phillips” song. Steven heard some Paul Simon in the performance and called Phillip “perfect.”

Reigning “American Idol” champ Scotty McCreery closed out Tuesday’s show with his version of Tim McGraw’s “Please Remember Me,” which has served as this season’s Idol exit song.

“American Idol”‘s new champion will be announced on Wednesday’s results show at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Here’s a rundown of some of the show’s highlights:

John Pizzi did an updated ventriloquist act, utilizing an iPad linked to a monitor. He showed animated caricatures of the three judges and impersonated their voices for his comedy routine. He got an easy three “yes” votes and advanced to the Las Vegas rounds.

Acrobalance and Ariel Musical act Donovan Jones and Rebecca Peache wore white leotards and used their strength and skill to lift and counter-balance each other in a series of maneuvers. Donovan mentioned that he weighs 200 pounds, which amazed the judges, as Rebecca was able to lift him gracefully. They’ll get to show off more skills in Vegas.

Father of three Tom Cotter is a stand-up comic. He came out and told jokes based around his youth and family life. Sharon said he had spot-on timing, and Tom got a thumbs-up from fellow comedian Howie, who called him polished and confident. Tom advances.

A 22-year-old dancer who calls himself Stepz popped and locked his body, and also moonwalked, bringing the crowd to its feet. Howard thought he’d seen many of the moves before but Howie disagreed. Sharon had the casting vote and sent Stepz dancing into the Vegas rounds of the contest.

A four-member male review troupe called The Savage Men performed various Chippendales-style moves, finally dropping their pants to reveal their underwear. They called Howard up on stage, and he gamely joined in with the muscle-bound antics. Howard gave a “yes,” but Howie and Sharon said “no.” Sharon said she prefers her men “dirty,” and these guys were too clean-cut.

“America’s Got Talent” returns to NBC on Monday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic/Getty Images.

Does Arsenio Hall have another act up his sleeve? After winning the latest round of Donald Trump’s reality show “Celebrity Apprentice” Sunday night, rumors suggest that the 56-year-old comedian might be in talks for another TV talk show.

TMZ.com reported Monday that three networks are “very interested” in bringing Hall on as a talk show host. “The Arsenio Hall Show,” which ran on Fox from 1989 to 1994, was a huge success but got canned following Hall’s decision to devote an entire show to interviewing Nation of Islam leaderLouis Farrakhan.

Hall’s rep did not immediately respond to ABCNews.com’s request for comment. He hasn’t been shy about his desire to get back on TV, telling Entertainment Weekly that if his former studio bosses would have him, he’d happily return. ”The bottom line is, if Paramount wants me, I will go right back there and pick up where I left off,” he said, “and I think that would be a fun story, because they made me the guy that you know.”

Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBC.

NBC’s America’s Got Talent visited New York City Monday night for a round of auditions that included a 77-year-old rapper, a dog act and a male performer who allowed his genitalia to be punched and kicked multiple times, with the blows set to music.

But the most buzzed about audition was that of 7-year-old rapper, Mir Money, who won the judges and audience over even before his performance when he was asked what he’d do with the show’s million dollar prize. He replied, “look after my family.”

That wasn’t enough to get him into the competition. When new judge Howard Stern and the rest of the panel buzzed him off, he started to cry, and Stern jumped on stage to tell the kid that he’s already a winner for having the courage to perform.

“You’re a terrific young man — you are so brave,” Stern said, showing his soft side. “This job is too rough for me, I don’t really wanna do it anymore.”

Too bad that’s his job. Along with judges Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel, Stern went on to decide acts would go home and which would advance to the next round in Las Vegas.  Contestants are competing for a $1 million grand prize and a chance to headline a show in Las Vegas.

Here’s a summary of the rest of the evening’s highlights:

An act called Flyte Cru combined basketball skills with acrobatics for a high-energy high-risk performance that featured hoops and trampolines. Howie didn’t think the act was original, but Howard said they were “a cut above.” With Osbourne’s  ”yes” vote, Flyte Cru was through to the Las Vegas rounds.

A guy calling himself Horse had one of the most bizarre acts ever seen. He allowed his genitalia to be beaten, punched and kicked multiple times, with the blows set to music. He dedicated his performance to his two young children. Mandel remarked after the act that there would not likely be any more kids. The judges deemed Horse to be “an original” and he advanced to Vegas.

Animal act Olate Dogs featured several pooches performing all kinds of balancing, jumping and walking tricks. All the animals are rescue dogs that are trained by Richard and Rebecca Olate.  They got an easy yes from all three of the mutt-loving judges, putting them into the next round.

A rap-rock fusion band called Wordspit, the Illest mixed rhymes with a mash-up of musical styles, which looked odd but sent the crowd crazy. The judges deemed it a “beautiful moment” and a tearful Osbourne said she loved the show for acts like this. They advanced to Vegas.

Dapper Burton Crane is a 77-year-old entertainer, who has been at various times in his life a teacher and a boxer. His act was to perform his original rap, accompanied by a beat from his Casio mini-keyboard. He got the crowd singing along to his chorus of “What you gonna do?” The judges loved Burton and want to see more raps from him in Las Vegas.

“America’s Got Talent” returns on Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time.