It’s Ba-a-a-ck!

The 11th season of “American Idol” arrives on Fox tonight, and host Ryan Seacrest says for some viewers, the return can’t come soon enough.

“I’ve been hearing a lot of ‘We can’t wait,’” Seacrest told ABC News Radio. “Actually, I’ve been hearing more ‘I can’t wait for ‘American Idol ‘to come back this next season’ than I’ve heard in two or three years.’”

Seacrest says he finds that interesting, because there’s so much more competition, from shows like NBC’s “The Voice,” but, he noted, “From what I hear, there’s just something about the original, and the Americana, that is ‘American Idol.’”

The biggest reality show of the year cranks up the music again this week, as “American Idol” returns. Some thought the singing competition could never survive the loss of Simon Cowell, but judges Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler proved them wrong. This week kicks off with the infamous auditions, which are either your favorite or your most-hated part of the show. The countdown to someone standing in line in a ridiculous costume starts now. (Jan. 18 and 19, 8 p.m., FOX)

She performed live in front of a television audience of millions week in and week out on Season 10 of “American Idol,” but at the Detroit Lions/Green Bay Packers game on Thanksgiving, Lauren Alaina’s nerves got the best of her as she flubbed the National Anthem.

Unlike Christina Aguilera, who, at last year’s Super Bowl actually sang the wrong lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” but kept singing, on Thursday, Lauren completely went silent for about five seconds in the middle of the song.

Thought Reese Witherspoon was America’s Sweetheart? Or maybe Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock?

Well, you’d be wrong, because Betty White can officially claim that title. It turns out that the angelic 89-year-old is now America’s most favorite and trusted celebrity, the Los Angeles Times reports.

White has come in first in a Reuters/Ipsos poll asking, “whose endorsement of a company would be most likely to drive business”?

Just over 2,000 Americans voted, and the former “Golden Girls” star beat out other famous faces like Denzel Washington, Sandra Bullock, Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman (who tied for seventh place with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge), Will Smith and Johnny Depp.

A series of shocking eliminations on “American Idol” last season left many fans and critics wondering if the voting system was in need of an overhaul. Now it seems the bigwigs behind the scenes are wondering about the very same thing.

After the ouster of early favorite Pia Toscano and the unexpected boot for metal man James Durbin, many blamed the powerful pop, country, and cute-guy-loving voting bloc of young girls. But how can the show effectively reduce the impact of that tween vote? In an interview with TVLine, “Idol” executive producer Nigel Lythgoe revealed that one option under consideration is simply to reduce the number of votes anyone can make.

How about we just call it like it is: Jennifer Lopez’s recent admission to the BBC that she’s “on the fence” about returning to “American Idol” next season is likely nothing more than a ploy for a pay hike. Lopez’s current salary: a reported $12 million. How high could her demand ultimately go? Another $23 million, if the Simon Cowell budget is your barometer.

Barely three months after their first meeting, “American Idol” contestant Paul McDonald and “Twilight” star Nikki Reed are engaged. The couple walked the MTV Movie Awards red carpet together Sunday and confirmed their plans to wed with E!’s Mark Malkin. “He’s the one,” Reed told E!.

Lauren Alaina may have showered Scotty McCreery with kisses when he was crowned the winner of “American Idol” on Wednesday, but the former competitors insist there’s nothing romantic going on between them.VIDEO: Inside the American Idol finale

“We’re just really good friends. We really care about each other,” Alaina, 16, tells Us Weekly. “Everyone wants us to like each other, but we just don’t.”

As is always noted at this point in the “American Idol” season, Chris Daughtry came in fourth place when he was a contestant on season five. He went on to sign a record deal about three minutes later and has gone onto megastardom, the most successful male ever to be a contestant on the show, as measured by record sales.

James Durbin, one of the top contenders since the season 10 auditions began, is now hoping to follow a similar path.

Oh, the outrage! Oh, the indignation! Two weeks ago, lovely Pia Toscano, over whom judge Steven Tyler had gushed that a million men in a million bars were raising their glasses to her, was voted off “American Idol” and by the public no less. The judges were stunned. Jennifer Lopez practically broke into tears. And Twitter was all atwitter with celebrities voicing their disgust at the injustice. “Who are the people who vote on American Idol?” tweeted Ashton Kutcher. “Baffled,” wrote actress Minka Kelly. “I may be done for the season,” groused the normally unflappable Tom Hank