Scandalous Idol

The Fox TV show owns 1-866-IDOLS-01 through 1-866-IDOLS-12 but 1-866-IDOLS-13 belongs to a phone sex line that offers callers the chance to chat with a “nasty girl” for up to $3.99 a minute.

This is the first year “American Idol” has run into the problem because the eighth season is the first to feature 13 finalists instead of a dozen.

After all of the contestants sang their renditions of Michael Jackson songs March 10, host Ryan Seacrest revealed the new number, warning callers to dial carefully.

Seacrest explained that the phone number was chosen because there were 36 semifinalists this year.

Earlier that day Idol producer Megan Michaels said a special G-rated number would be chosen for the 13th performer but that the show wouldn’t tell the audience anything about 1-866-IDOLS-13.

“We will not allude to the fact of the 1-3, because we don’t even want to endorse that,” Michaels said.

Ironically enough, Grace, the tiny soul singer and young mother from Memphis, Tenn., chose Jackson’s “Dirty Diana” as the 13th song of the night.

Tonight’s show will reveal which singer is going to pack their bags and say goodbye to the “American Idol” dream. Seacrest also promised that the March 11 show will include a change to the entire theme and concept of the series.

The elimination episode will feature performances by Kanye West and Kelly Clarkson. West is making his first appearance on the show, performing his hit “Heartless” from his recent album 808s & Heartbreak.

Clarkson will return to the Idol stage after being crowned the show’s first star in 2002. She plans to show off her hit tune “My Life Would Suck Without You,” from her new album All I Ever Wanted, which was released in the U.S. yesterday.