Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Former American Idol contestants Lauren Alaina and Kristy Lee Cook will be performing at the York Fair next week.

So when I interviewed them about their upcoming fair shows, the topic of Idol judges and ratings just naturally came up.

Lauren Alaina at the American Country Awards. (AP Photo)

Lauren, runner-up on Season 10 of Idol, said the trio of Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. sounds like “a great panel.”

She was especially pleased to hear that Jennifer will be returning to the judges’ table after a one-year absence, calling her “an amazing judge.”

“She was so sweet, but honest,” Lauren said Wednesday. “You could tell if she believed in you, she meant it. And if she didn’t, she told you what you needed to work on. She’s got a presence that’s very mothering and made me feel secure.”

As for the rest of the panel?

“Keith is a great guy, and he’s got great music. And Harry Connick Jr. is really cute,” Lauren said with a laugh.

Since Idol was her favorite show growing up and “changed my life forever,” Lauren says she’s rooting for the show to stem its shrinking ratings.

“When people say it’s lost its popularity, the ratings of the show are still out of this world,” Lauren said. “If they went through a slump last year, I’m sure they’ll get it back because it’s American Idol and it’s been so successful for so long. I think they’ll figure it out.”

To figure it out, the key will be personality and camaraderie at the judges’ table, says Kristy Lee, to whom I spoke before the Season 13 judges were announced.

Kristy Lee Cook at the American Country Awards. (AP Photo)

The seventh-place finisher on Idol’s magical Season 7, when the show was in its heydey, Kristy Lee says Idol took a major hit with Simon Cowell’s departure.

“I think they really need personality on the judging panel. Kind of like The Voice. I love The Voice — the judging, it’s awesome, it’s great. They have so much personality. It’s fun and people love it. I think they need to bring in somebody who has a little bit of personality, somebody who’s going to tell it like it is, but that’s not over the top, but that’s funny.

“It’s hard to find. I definitely think they need to get some judges up there that will have fun and laugh with each other and make it entertaining so people will watch the show again.”

Could Harry Connick Jr. deliver the personality Kristy Lee is talking about? Time will tell.

As for the York Fair, it’s nearly here.

Kristy Lee will perform Monday night at 6:30 p.m. on the fair’s WGTY Great Country Radio Stage.

Lauren Alaina will perform Thursday, after a 6:15 p.m. show by Canaan Smith.

Both shows are free with the price of fair admission.

For a full interview with Kristy Lee, check Idol Chatter tomorrow. An interview with Lauren about her new music and an upcoming move to Nashville will appear early next week.