PopEater Poll Results: How You Voted on the Biggest Stories of 2009

· Susan Boyle became an Internet sensation following her audition for 'Britain's Got Talent.' The 47-year-old from Scotland sold more than 1.8 million copies of her debut album 'I Dreamed a Dream' in its first three weeks of release in the U.S. (not to mention the millions she's sold worldwide). But 79 percent of over 217K PopEater voters admitted they thought she'd be bad before they first heard her sing.

· Some conspiracy theorists d Simon Cowell masterminded Susan Boyle's audition and subsequent rise to fame. But 63 percent of over 242K voters didn't believe it -- they thought he was just as surprised as everyone else.

· Speaking of Susan Boyle, what did PopEater readers think of a 'Today' show appearance where Boyle dropped her famous, dowdy look for a new, glam appearance? A whopping 98% of 132k loved it.

· Back in November, multiple media outlets scrambled to uncover the identity of Anderson Cooper's partner - although the CNN had never officially come out. We asked if it's right for the media to pry into celebs' sexuality, and 90% of more than 134k voters said no.

· Adam Lambert's first CD, 'For Your Entertainment,' features the 'American Idol' runner-up on the cover with blue hair, a gloved hand and heavy makeup. PopEater readers were not fans - 78% of 158k confessed they hated the outlandish album art.

· David Letterman shocked the world when he confessed to sexual relationships with female employees of his show. A majority of PopEater voters were willing to forgive the married talk show host: 71% of 247k thought Letterman should keep his job after admitting the wrongdoing.

· In September, ABC 'World News' anchor Charlie Gibson announced that he'd be stepping down as the anchor of the popular broadcast at the end of the year. Gibson will be missed - when we asked readers which network anchor they prefer, he won in a landslide with 59% of nearly 150k votes.

· Our readers were shocked when it became clear that 'American Idol' pioneer Paula Abdul wouldn't be returning for the new season of the show. 69% of 344k were also saddened by the news that Abdul would be moving on.

· When Chris Brown was first charged with assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna, we wondered if the public thought he was likely to be found guilty. He was - and 70% of nearly 116k voters guessed right.

· While a majority thought Chris Brown was guilty of beating Rihanna, 56% also believed that his career isn't over yet.

· Though the two eventually split for good, an early reconciliation hurt Rihanna's reputation - and nearly cost her a Covergirl endorsement. The cosmetics company quietly circulated an online survey regarding Rihanna's commercial, and 62% of nearly 102k PopEater readers thought the singer was no good for Covergirl.

· When Michael Jackson passed away in June, there was an outpouring of love for the much-maligned megastar. But New York congressman Peter King called the King of Pop a "low life" and "child molester." Despite a lot of pro-Jackson sentiment, 71% of almost 202k voters agreed with King, and 69% of 194k thought the comments were not too harsh.

· While covering Michael Jackson's death, we wondered what our readers thought of the many news stories surrounding the late singer - and 77 percent of more than 274K voters thought there was too much.

· TV mom Kate Gosselin opened up to PEOPLE magazine about her marital woes at the very start of the Jon and Kate divorce saga. But 82 percent over over 142K voters didn't think she should have aired her problems in public.

· Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo broke up in July, when the Dallas Cowboys quarterback dumped the singer the day before her 29th birthday. 85% of 112k voters say they saw a split coming for the couple.

· Romo may not have been won over by Jessica's good looks, but PopEater readers were. Despite a rough year of weight-related criticism, Simpson donned a skimpy pair of short-shorts in March, and 89% of nearly 102k gave the revealing look a thumbs up. Get the story

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• Polls: How You Voted on Big Stories