Stars flock to American Idol final

A host of A-list celebrities attended the eighth season finale of American Idol, which saw Adam Lambert and Kris Allen go head to head. It was 23-year-old Arkansas student Allen who dealt an unexpected defeat to runaway favourite Lambert, a 27-year-old actor, on the most popular US television show. Allen won over audiences with his all-American good looks and by putting his personal spin on popular tunes. He appeared to be in shock following host Ryan Seacrest's announcement that he'd won. Stars such as previous Idol contestants David Cook and Chris Daughtry were present, as were Cyndi Lauper, Jason Mraz, Keith Urban and Queen Latifah, Kiss and comedian Steve Martin. Allen's smooth vocals and boy-next-door image gave him the edge after nearly 100 million viewer votes were cast, turning the theatrical, powerhouse vocalist Lambert into the most unlikely of also-rans. Daughtry - who finished fourth in his series - had some reassuring words for Lambert, saying: "Well I think it's an incredible vehicle to launch a career if you use it wisely." Some of the stars took to the stage to duet with the finalists, and the season's other contestants. Keith Urban teamed up with Allen to turn his single Kiss a Girl into a duet for the night. Country megastar Urban said: "Kris is great. His vocal range is perfect for it. I had a great time singing it with him." Meanwhile, Kiss welcomed Lambert for a rendition of I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night, with vocalist Eric Singer saying: "I thought was a good match up was obviously Kiss is a theatrical band and Adam's very theatrical, so he was the right contestant to get on stage with us."

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ITN | May 21, 2009

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