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The Divine Miss R: Diana Ross, who looked like a firebird as she made her grand entrance, was the evening's show-stopper. Her daughter, Girlfriends actress Tracee Ellis Ross, was her biggest fan, jumping out of her seat in the audience to watch her mom do her thing. And Melinda Doolittle just couldn't help but be star-struck when the original Dreamgirl put her arm around her during her performance of "More Today Than Yesterday." Jordin Sparks was seen mock-fanning a flushed Melinda.
What Fight?: Curious about the back story behind Ryan Seacrest introducing Simon Cowell as "all of Simon Cowell"? We found out: Immediately after the host was introduced to the crowd before the live taping began, Ryan made his way over to the judges' table and engaged in an animated conversation punctuated with laughs with Simon, whose white button-down shirt was unbuttoned down to depths that no man should venture unless he's posing for a Harlequin romance book cover. Naturally, Ryan – who had his own verbal battle with Simon on Tuesday's show – took the opportunity to point out the judge's revealing fashion choice to the world.
Homecoming: Season 5 Idol contestants Paris Bennett and Lisa Tucker and season 4 finalist Anthony Fedorov hung out in the audience and greeted members of the production crew with hugs before the live show began.
Chris on a Stick: Instead of a sign, Chris Sligh's wife Sarah mounted a cutout of Chris’ upper body on a popsicle stick and waved it in the air. Chris spotted his cutout self bopping in the air and pointed it out to Blake Lewis, who laughed along with him. When it was announced that Chris was safe from being voted off, Sarah's mom – who flew into town with Sarah's father from South Carolina – pumped her fist in the air.
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So Hard to Say Goodbye: It was another emotional Idol night with Brandon Rogers's mother wiping away tears as her son gave his final performance. At the end of the show, Blake was overwhelmed and started tearing up, hugging Brandon on stage for a long time and then hugging Jordin who was also a little weepy to see Brandon leave the group.
