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 Lori

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And she was just as boring on Dancing as she was on Idol. And that's why she got voted off......The only reason I saw it is cause it was on at the gym......the whole show is a waste.

By halfmoon

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What a wonderful voice and a beautiful young lady..She certainly was one of the best voices on "Idol," but the judges kept pushing her to sing something more upbeat, because they R contemporary artists and she did and was voted off!
She will be a big star and I can't wait to support her carreer> American Idol is probably going to name a "Screamer, not singer, as the ultimate winner, but then it's a show for teeny boppers and the 18-24 year old crowd..

By Mark

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Don't see how Dave could type with a hood over his head....aren't the slits in your sheet too small to see what you are typing?? Get a life.

By Jennie Jean

Geezz you guys are mean! Mark is adorable and a great dancer and Pia is beautiful and a wonderful singer. I'm pretty much topped off with reality shows so I had no desire to watch The Voice.

By kaysings

So did Idol and DWTS get Pia and Ballas together DELIBERATELY to set this up? Sounds like the shenanigans that went on when the studio system ruled Hollywood. Anything for publicity...

And oh BTW, Pia does have a beautiful voice and beauty queen looks, but she is indeed a boring performer. She was was voted off Idol because she does not appeal to Idol's tween girl demographic.

By mickey

Pia Karaoke doesn't appeal to any age group. Nobody voted for her because she's no good. If she makes a CD, nobody will buy it and if she appears on TV nobody watches or at least mutes the TV, or throws up while she's performing. She's a screamer, like a bad migraine.

By Steve-a-rino

Great performance, great song and all that, but the content is a little hard to take. "I'll stand by you," I guess, doesn't apply to the long-time boyfriend she just dumped to be with Ballas. I'm sure he'll get the "forever yours" treatment for a while, too.
If there were such a thing as "true love forever" we'd all be married to our 3rd grade sweethearts. Maybe "forever" means one-quarter of a lifetime - that's about the maximum longevity for most first marriages these days. I KNOW there are exceptions - but they are ONLY exceptions!

By Kasey

Ahh I thought Mark was gay. I think its just a publicity stunt.

By Catamaran

Do all of you EVER just shut up?

By Penny

I watched Pia on Dancing With the Stars and enjoyed her singing with the dancing. I took a sneak peak over at The Voice and watched a little, then it was back to Dancing With the Stars. The Voice is a little bit annoying and boring itself at times so I mainly watched DWTS. If Christina Aguilera wears black with red lipstick one more time, I'm going to scream!

By catzs

Mark really needs to let his hair grow back, he looks stupid. Your not in the military, Mark.

By Anita

Pia was boring as usual. Good grief she acts like she is glued to the floor and can't move. She sings the same old ballads over and over again. She was booted from Idol for good reason!

By d

Watched the Voice for sure! Pia sucks, not to mention she looks like a transvestite.... I was too happy to see her booted from Idol to ever watch her boring-ness again. Pia go away!!!!

By Judy

This is a bit off-topic, but "slighly" should be "slyly" There seem to be so many more spelling errors in published matter these days. Evidence that our nation's low ranking in educating our populace has had ill effects. Sad.

By Jennifer

Pia is B O R I N G !!! She needs to get over herself!

By Christine

Maybe Tom Bergeron asked her "slighly" because he did so in the manner that would Chris Sligh, another former American Idol contestant.
LOL

By angelasims05

There is something about this girl that is not appealing and if the rumors are true about her and Mark she's already lying to the media!! GEEZ!!
Her singing is okay but nothing special to me.

Thursday 28 April

By badman5150

She had better save her money. After the tour, her 15 minutes are will surely run out.

By el

OMG America VOTED.... They got rid of her on American Idol...shes dull, boring, stale and outdated...enough already with Pia!!
p.s. I didnt watch anyway...i am boycotting Abc...i only watch it for my soaps!!! SAVE THE SOAPS!!! LONG LIVE THE SOAPS!!!

By Sylvia

Pia has a horrible voice, and personality (she's a showoff), She doesn't sing she screams!!!!!! I'm glad she's not on American Idol, I would have stopped watching it. Yesterday I changed the channel until she was finished, I couldn't take her shreiks!!!!!!!

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