Frenchie Is Gone and Will Stay Gone

By Stephen M. Silverman

Tuesday February 18, 2003 04:18 PM EST

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Simon Cowell can continue to scowl -- and so can fans of booted "American Idol 2" contestant Frenchie Davis.

Despite her powerful performance on the FOX talent show last week, producers eliminated Davis, 23, from the running after finding out she once worked for an adult-oriented Web site. According to published reports, she appeared topless on the site, which catered to fans of underage girls.

Davis claimed that she did the photo session to help her to re-enroll at Howard University.

Still, reports the New York Post, some 28,000 signers attached their names to an online petition to put Davis back on the show. As stated on the Petiononline Web site, "Let us, the voting public, voice our support for Frenchie by allowing her to continue in the competition."

FOX, however, won't budge on its position. A network official tells the Post that FOX's decision is final.

But Frenchie may end up back on TV, anyway. The Post's Page Six column also reports that Davis has been hired to cover the Grammys for "Entertainment Tonight." No official announcement has been made.

Meanwhile, in other "American Idol" news, the Salt Lake City Tribune reports that the show's producers are suing a Utah-based telemarketer, accusing the company of duping "Idol" viewers out of $250,000.

On the show, viewers vote for contestants by dialing a toll-free number that begins with the "866" prefix. But, according to the suit, Telemarketing Inc. set up the same numbers with an "800" prefix.

Fans who dialed the wrong number reportedly were told to dial a "900" number to "vote for your favorite contestant" -- at 99 cents to $1.99 a call.

Finally, in other reality show news (will it ever end?) this spring NBC is set to try out five episodes of something called "Who Wants to Marry My Mom?," which the network says was inspired by an upcoming "Meet My Folks" special, reports the Associated Press.

In "Mom?" the adult offspring of a single mother will decide which of several suitors will win the chance to vacation with their parent.