Entertainment

Top 24 ‘American Idols’ already in the bag

While “American Idol” on TV is showing the second week of auditions taped last summer, in real life, the talent show finished picking the final 24 contestants over the weekend.

It was the end of “Hollywood Week,” when hundreds of gold-ticketed singers compete for a spot on the finals.

The names of more than a dozen semi-finalists leaked out over the weekend — including at least one familiar face from Hollywood Week last season, Lacey Brown, short-haired, singer/song- writer from Texas.

The only local singer that emerged was Katie Stevens, a band singer from Middlebury, Conn., according to reports.

It was also Ellen Degeneres’ first week on the judges’ panel of “Idol.” The comedian is replacing Paula Abdul, who quit the show last summer when she could not reach a contract agreement with the producers.

In the Hollywood round, the judges whittle the field down to 24 semi-finalists.

After a series of performances, viewers eliminate two singers a week until the contest is down to 12 finalists.

The Hollywood Week competition will air early next month, which will also be Degeneres’ debut on the show.