Celebrity Duets

Celebrity Duets and American Idol

Host, Wayne Brady

There's a reason Celebrity Duets is so similar to American Idol: the show's executive producer is none other than Simon Cowell, the feisty British judge on American Idol.

For Celebrity Duets, Cowell and the production team of Simco and Fox Television Studios mixed things up a bit. Instead of bringing in unheard of, everyday folks with a dream of making it big in music, Duets presents celebrities who have already achieved a measure of success. The twist is that the stars do not work in the music business. Instead, they have earned their fame and fortune through acting, sports, and comedy.

Where the contestants on American Idol are coached by famous singers, songwriters, and musicians, the celebrity hopefuls on Duets actually get to perform with the musical talent.

While Idol is hosted by the smooth and stylish Ryan Seacrest, Duets features charming funny man Wayne Brady.

Contestants on Duets compete for $100,000, which will be given to the charity of their choice.

Series Debut

The series debuted on August 29, 2006, with an interesting mix of contestants, including:

Jai Rodriguez

• Chris Jericho, a wrestler and radio host
• Lea Thompson, an actress best known for her work in 80s movies, such as Back to the Future and Some Kind of Wonderful
• Carly Patterson, an American gymnast
• Cheech Marin, an actor and comedian best known for his roles in Cheech and Chong, Born in East L.A., and Nash Bridges
• Jai Rodriguez of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
• Hal Sparks, an actor and comedian
• Lucy Lawless, the actress best known as Xena
• Alfonso Ribeiro, who was often seen singing and dancing on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air

The contestants sang with a different star each week, giving them the opportunity to show the full range of their abilities. Musical partners ran the gamut, from country stars to soul singers, and included:

• Sebastian Bach of Skid Row
• Clint Black
• Michael Bolton
• Peter Frampton
• James Ingram
• Al Jarreau
• Gladys Knight
• Patti LaBelle
• Kenny Loggins
• Smokey Robinson
• Michelle Williams

Judging Celebrity Duets

Lucy Lawless was one of the finalists

Celebrity Duets uses the same type of judging system that has worked so well on American Idol. Three judges give a critique after each performance, but the public ultimately decides who will be sent home and who is left standing. The judges are:

• Marie Osmond is an entertainer and singer made famous by The Osmonds. She is generally sweet and encouraging to the contestants.
• Little Richard is a lengendary rock and roll star, songwriter, and pianist. Although he is always enthusiastic, his critiques are often incoherent.
• David Foster is a musician, producer, composer, and arranger. With his multiple Grammy Awards, Foster is a certified success. He plays the role of the blunt, acid-tongued judge.

Breakout Stars and Stars Sent Packing

Lucy Lawless was the first celebrity to sing, and it was immediately clear that she was a strong contender. Though she was repeatedly dinged for not relating to her duet partners, her voice was clear and strong. Alfonso Ribeiro was also impressive. Whether singing with Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child or his idol Chaka Khan, Alfonso performed consistently well week after week. Other talented hopefuls included Hal Sparks and Jai Rodriguez.

Other celebrities didn't fare as well. Chris Jericho was sent home in the first week, after failing to impress the judges in his duet with country star Lee Ann Womack. Lea Thompson, Carly Patterson, Cheech Marin, and Jai Rodriguez soon followed.

Final Three

In the end, Lucy Lawless, Hal Sparks, and Alfonso Ribeiro competed for the $100,000 prize. All three proved to be worthy contenders, but only one could win. At the end of the night, Alfonso Ribeiro was crowned the winner.