Did 'Idol' Use Pia and Mark to Mess With 'The Voice'? If So, It Didn't Work

By Rob Shuter Posted Apr 27th 2011 02:15PM

Head-scratching TV insiders are wondering today, did 'American Idol,' which controls every appearance of every finalist with an iron fist, deliberately allow kicked-off Pia Toscano to appear on 'Dancing With the Stars' last night to mess with a competing talent show? We're of course talking about NBC's 'The Voice,' which debuted the same hour as 'Dancing' on ABC.

"Of course they did," one NBC producer not directly tied to 'The Voice' tells me. "'Idol' has not allowed any of its talent from the present season appear on 'Dancing,' and all of a sudden they book Pia!"

My industry source believes FOX may have been worried about another singing competition "stealing their thunder, so they did everything they could to sabotage it."

Well, if it's true then mission not accomplished. Via the Hollywood Reporter: "With a 5.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 11.8 million viewers overall, it is the top-rated series premiere on a major network since CBS' Undercover Boss debut following the 2010 Super Bowl."

More importantly, 'The Voice' bested 'Dancing' -- which saw the departure of Chris Jericho -- in the 9-10 p.m. time-slot. Ouch!

Sabotage theories aside, Pia's performance was also great due to the rumors that she is dating professional dancer Mark Ballas, who performed while she sang. At the end of her number, host Tom Bergeron slighly asked Pia about her status with Mark. "He's a wonderful person," she replied.

"This was too good an opportunity to miss," a past 'Idol' winner who asked to remain anonymous tells me. "The connection between Mark and Pia was perfect to ensure great ratings for 'Dancing With the Stars' at the expense of the new show."

The former 'Idol' likens the show's efforts to take on its competition as a war game, adding, "If you think for one minute that the producers of 'Idol' are not thinking everything through like a chess game, then you don't understand why this show is such a monster success."

We only wish Simon Cowell's new competition, 'The X-Factor,' was debuting during an 'Idol' season. Now THAT would be war!

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Tags: American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, Mark Ballas, Pia Toscano, The Voice

Comments

(174)

Wednesday 27 April

By rus369

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PIA HAS A BEAUTIFUL VOICE AND SHE IS BEAUTIFUL

By mickey

You're out of your mind. She's just an average voice with a ton of hype and an Italian name. BFD. She doesn't sing with any feeling at all. There is no real emotion, just play acting. She's basically like a robot who someone trained to sing. You probably like Bieber and Cyrus too.

By kaye

Get over her. She was the most boring singer on Idol. You have to have more than a good voice. You have to entertain. The polls showed that she was always in the middle with Scotty, Lauren and James always with the top spots. I watched Voice and had no desire to see her boring performance again.

By busymissnanci

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

Yes......and Not

By BusyMissNanci

She's NOT beautiful - neither am I, but that is neither here nor there - she has an incredible makeup artist. I am not going to point out specifics, because that is just plain mean, but let's not go overboard. Very few of our so-called "stars" are beautiful without the artistry of the make-up man/woman. THey are as ordinary as the rest of us.

By vickie

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

this is BS...Pia is wonderful and has nothing to do with the "voice"....I will buy her CD before anyone elses....another thing....the elimination show for DWTs is always lower in the ratings because most people just switch to see who goes off so they can watch something else..I won't watch the voice....

By Monica

I agree 100% about Pia, I dont know what these "experts" who are bashing her are watching. She already has a recording contract! Her only issue was moving around the stage, and guess what, she can learn that, beauty and the voice she has are gifts from God.

By greg

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she is a snooze fest!!! she will do well singing at weddings in new jersey!

By bigD

I stopped watching Idol this year because I couldn't take the judges constant generic praise and lack of knowledgable criticism. But I did catch that Pia on DTWS last night and she sounded better than any Idol singer I've ever seen/heard outside the Idol stage. Don't know what some of you are being so negative about her for. She closed that song with some very powerful notes that were spot on and sounded like a veteran to me???

By k wroblewski

he asked slighly?? ReallY-Slighly?

By Joyce Mouillesseaux

I agree! Shouldn't people who write and publish these things know better?

By thehub625

Seriously. I realize that it's not a legitimate news source but doesn't Rob Shuler at least have spell check?

By Davewright

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

The coloreds always want their own TV, Radio, Magazines, Award shows, Beauty pageants etc., Why can't we give them a "black dancing with the stars " show so we don't have to watch those gorilla trying to dance in human clothing, it looks ridiculous. Monkey bangers like kendra would only be allowed on their show because she spreads her legs for baboons.

By Lola

Dude? Wtf does anything you just said have to do with the article. No one in the article that they're talking about is black soooooo...yeah. The "coloreds"???? Are you friggin serious? What is this, 1950? I bet you would never say that to a black person's face. You internet gangsters are a trip, and you sir are an ignoramus.

By Ron in NY

The 'coloreds'? Really? What cave did you just crawl out of?

By mistyjeanmoore

"Colored?" Racist much?
No where in this article did it mention black people. Why so pressed? LOL.

By halfmoon

What a disgrace that Huffington Post even allowed you to sling this "Rascist, bigotted garbage" thru this conversation medium! I detest what you say and detest who you are...I would like very much to see you mug in person, sometimes you look hate in the face and the face dissolves into nothingness!
You are an ignoramus and wish I had a voodoo doll right now!

By Zia

He's just a TROLL. Don't feed him with logic, he's too ignorant too understand. ;)

By Tom

Hey Davewright, how you doing pal?
I see you are still messed up over that
african princess you were head over heels in
love with, and she denied you every step of the way,
and kicked you to the curb like a worm infested dog.
Well buddy, I wish you the best, and I hope you
get over that sweet black piece of booty you were
never able to have.

By Marlene

You are one sick MF!!!! I'm white and you're an idiot!

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