American Idol Fodder

“Idol” Hernandez Speaks Out

David Hernandez just wants to sing.

At least that’s what he told Entertainment Weekly last week at a party celebrating the new Top 12 Finalists. He was responding to questions about his days as a stripper in an Arizona club called Dick’s Cabaret.

“I think America's judging us all off of our voices right now,” he told EW on March 6. “Obviously they were, because I'm still in the Top 12, thank God. So I'm not really concerned with what's going on [with those reports]. I'm just focused on singing, because that's what I'm here to do."

Earlier in the week, when the story had originally surfaced, TVGuide.com interviewed “Idol” executive producer Ken Warwick about the controversy. Warwick seemed to already know about Hernandez’s stripping past and wasn’t too worried about it. He said they’ve had strippers on the show before and don’t judge how people put food on the table.

At this point it seems the producers will let the public decide whether it matters, much like they did last season with Antonella Barba. During the semifinals, racy pics of her surfaced online, but she was allowed to remain in the competition. A few weeks later, America voted her out.

As Warwick told TVGuide.com: “If there's a stretch of the public that thinks, 'Oh, dear, he was a male stripper, I'm not gonna vote for him,' then that's the luck of the draw.” –Chris Sardelli