[Hammer:] Big news breaking tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." Betting on Madonna, one of the world`s most popular performers is taking on the huge super bowl halftime show this weekend. But why are so many people worried that a pro like Madonna might just fumble it? The brand new evidence of who Simon Cowell should cast on the new "X Factor." It`s a showdown between Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. Showbiz dares to ask who would make the better judge. Plus, Snooki`s big baby news? Tonight "Jersey Shore`s" most popular party girl sets the record straight on those shocking baby rumors.
[Unidentified Male Announcer:] TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
[Hammer:] Welcome back to "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York, and we have big news breaking today. I`m talking betting on Madonna. That`s right. Are you excited? Just three days, one of the most anticipated super bowl halftime shows ever will be revealed to the world. The stage is now set and it`s game on for Madonna. But, you know, after dominating the music world for three decades, does the queen of pop still have what it takes to pull this off? With me from Indianapolis tonight, in the heart of all of the super bowl action, there he is, Carlos Diaz, sports anchor of "Morning Express" on HLN, and with me in New York, former "American Idol" contestant, Kimberly Locke. It`s terrific to have you here. Let`s go out to Carlos first. But before I do, I want to play something for you guy. Because juts today Madonna was a guest on Anderson Cooper`s daytime talk show. This was an interview that he and she taped earlier this week. And Anderson asked Madonna if she was in any way nervous about her upcoming performance at the super bowl. Watch with me.
[Madonna:] My God. I`m so nervous. You have no idea. I have to put on the greatest show on earth in the middle of the greatest show on earth. I have eight minutes to set it up and seven minutes to take it down. And 12 minutes to put on the greatest show on earth. OK? That`s a lot of pressure.
[Hammer:] It`s a lot of pressure, obviously. But it`s so funny or interesting to hear Madonna of all people saying, so nervous. Takes us to our showbiz flashpoint, Madonna says she`s nervous for the super bowl Sunday halftime show. Will it be a big success? Carlos, I`ll start with you as you were right there in the thick of things. I`m thinking if anybody can pull this off, it`s Madonna, right?
[Carlos Diaz, Sports Anchor, Morning Express:] Yes, but at the press conference today, she did sound nervous. And she said over and over again how nervous she is. It was very un-Madonna like for her to admit that. But, you can tell, A.J., that she`s not looking at this performance like I`m going to shock the world. I think she`s looking at this performance like this is what I want to be remembered for. You know, it`s kind of a weird thing. She`s getting to that point in her career where she`s closer to the end than she was to the beginning. So, I think she sees this as a pivotal point in her career where she can make an impression for the next 10, 15 years. So she`s really putting a lot of pressure on herself.
[Hammer:] And it`s interesting because Madonna, of course, has always been afraid of failure. It`s one of the things I think has always driven her so, so much. But it is, of course, Madonna. Kimberly, I have to get your take on this. Because we`re talking about Madonna of all people now, even if the performance is a big failure, yes, it will be huge headlines on Monday if something goes terribly wrong. But ultimately, will it really matter?
[Kimberly Locke, Second Runner Up Winner, American Idol, 2003:] I don`t think it will. It`s Madonna. I mean, me, personally as a singer, as an artist, who has looked up to Madonna. I can`t wait to see what she`s going to do because I know she`s going to do something no one else has ever done. And I think that`s why everyone is going to be watching, too, you know. And it`s OK for Madonna to be nervous. And the fact she admits it? Boy! It sure makes me feel good that Madonna gets nervous, too.
[Hammer:] Yes. And let`s face it. Carlos, you know, she is a perfectionist. I actually do have to imagine with all of that pressure going on in the few minutes you have to set up and the eyes of the world watching that she`s actually very afraid of something going wrong because she likes things to be so perfect all the time.
[Diaz:] I was in the front row a few years ago when Bruce Springsteen played in Tampa. And you can`t imagine, A.J., you are running out on to the field and they`re setting up the stage and it is like, OK now, naturally just perform in front of a worldwide audience. I can tell you, that she rehearsed for five hours last night in that building behind me then, another several hours this evening. And we have had reports about her set list. The "New York post" is saying it`s "give me all your loving" "ray of light," vogue," "Music" and "Holiday." Although she said it would be one new song and three old songs. My friends at the "Indianapolis Star" tell me that with rehearsals last night she rehearsed "give me all your loving", "vogue," "music," and "like a prayer." So, there are some discrepancies what her set is going to be. And she said she wants to keep all the secrets until super bowl Sunday.
[Hammer:] Alright, I guess we will have to wait and see. But Madonna, obviously, not the only one with so much riding on this super bowl, we have some brand new reports today that Tom Brady`s wife is so desperate for him to get a win, she reportedly sent around an e-mail asking friends and family to join her in prayer. Let me read to you what this e-mail says. "He and his team worked so hard to get to this point and now they need us more than ever. So, I kindly ask all of you to join me on this positive chain and pray for him so he can feel confident, healthy and strong. Envision him happy and fulfilled, experiencing with his team a victory this Sunday." And I don`t need to tell you this, but this e-mail is spreading like wildfire on the internet. A lot of people have been taking jabs at her because of it. Kimberly, we know that you talk about prayer. It can obviously be very polarizing. Is it so wrong for the husband of this famous QB who`s playing on Saturday to reach out to people and ask them to pray?
[Locke:] Hey, we`ll blame it on Tebow, right?
[Diaz:] Exactly. It`s kind of in that vein.
[Locke:] I think it`s OK, right? It`s OK that she wants this badly for her husband. And, hey, everybody`s on the Internet and I would probably forward it.
[Hammer:] What do you think, Carlos, out there? Is it a mistake when a spouse or a relation of somebody who`s involved with the game makes a bold prayer statement like this so close to the game? Or does it not matter at all?
[Diaz:] I think this is a huge I think it`s a huge statement, A.J. because Tom Brady all week has tried to be laid back and oh, it`s another game. But then Gisele says please, please pray for my husband, pray for my man. And when you`re going against the guy named Elijah, which his name stands for, it`s Elijah Manning. It`s very biblical. Though, I don`t know if the guy up there is going to be going, I`m not going for Elijah. I love to see but it does say this is very important to Tom Brady.
[Hammer:] And listen, maybe some of the prayer will help other performers involved. Madonna, Kelly Clark of course, all eyes on her singing the national anthem. Now, Christina Aguilera have what I thought was basically a great performance last year but for the fact that she flubbed the words and caught flak for it. It`s an immense amount of pressure. I mean, it`s funny we`ve forgotten about it now. But take us on stage with you to let us know what it could be like doing that.
[Locke:] I mean, I`ve never signed to the super bowl. So, that type of pressure, I mean. I`ve been on "American idol" where millions of people are watching. So, that amount of pressure, and that particular song, what people don`t understand, that`s one of the most difficult song to sing. It`s written unlike any other song. It doesn`t rhyme, it doesn`t repeat. Sp, you have a lot, you know, our songs, hey; you get to sing the chorus twice. All you really have to remember is the verse. So the national anthem is so difficult.
[Hammer:] Not to mention the acoustics and the staging.
[Locke:] The feedback, the people.
[Hammer:] I`m nervous right now.
[Locke:] They`re waiting for you to mess up, A.J. OK?
[Hammer:] Kelly not the only former "idol" star making headlines today. Simon Cowell, of course, fired Paul Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger from his new show, the "X factor." And since then, there are a lot of speculations about who the new judges should be. Here are the shocking results I think of our "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" exclusive poll. Who should replace Paula and Nicole? Look at this, 52 percent say Mariah, 16 percent Whitney, 32 percent Seal. So, that`s ahead of Whitney. That`s surprising to me that that`s what people think.
[Locke:] It`s interesting. I mean, I would have voted for Whitney. Just because I don`t know, I think she`s an icon in her own right. And she`s had a rough, you know, few years, we`ll say, but I think she would be great at it. And doesn`t Simon want somebody who can stay and, you know I mean, because I think Simon knows how, you know, having the same judges every year, like the judges become instrumental to the show.
[Hammer:] Sure.
[Locke:] So
[Hammer:] He only has one chance to fix this. We have to leave it there. He better get it right this time. Great to see you, Kimberly Locke, thanks so much Carlos, have a great time this weekend. And tonight, I can`t wait. We have a `70s icon in the house. I`m talking about legendary supermodel Cheryl Teague. She`s on the new season of "Celebrity Apprentice." She`s raising a lot of money for the Farrah Fawcett Foundation. And Cheryl is right here with me for a must see "Showbiz newsmaker interview," all about her good friend, Farrah, on her birthday, she would have been 65 today. Plus, Gwyneth Paltrow`s confession. The Oscar winning actress opening up about a deep, dark pain from her past. This is "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" on HLN "news and views." And this is the "Showbiz News Ticker." More stories from the "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" newsroom making news tonight. Text: Police report shows Leslie Cater suffered apparent overdose. Text: "Idol" contestant Britnee Kellogg is being compared to Britney Spears.