One of the most heartbreaking moments on 'American Idol' (Wed., 9PM ET on FOX) tonight was when the judges told Thaddeus Johnson that he didn't make it into the Top 24. Poor guy ... we felt horrible when he burst into tears and questioned the decision.

"They said I did great and did nothing wrong, but I don't understand how you can do great and do nothing wrong, and still get let down."

We don't either, Thaddeus. Hopefully, someone will see your awesome talent at such a young age, and scoop you up for great things. And your mom will always be there to support you 110 percent. Hang in there!

Watch the video after the jump.

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of FOX's 'American Idol?' Not just the typical questions like "what is Simon Cowell really like" and "does Ryan Seacrest's breath really smell minty," I mean the really important questions, like are the contestants ever denied bathroom privileges?

That's one of the many questions answered in this very long 'American Idol' piece at The Daily Beast. Lots of past contestants on the show (including season five winner Taylor Hicks - remember him?) dish about what goes on behind the scenes of the show when it gets to Hollywood. How are songs chosen? Who rooms with whom? Does everyone really get along? Do they sleep?

Jackie Tohn, who was on the show last year, says "the head games start right away. You never have any idea why anything is happening." So now we know: 'American Idol' is just like 'Lost!'

The strong survived and the weak got sent home, as Hollywood Week at 'American Idol' (Wed., 9PM ET on FOX) continued. 'Group Night' is tragic for some, joyful for others, and shattered nerves and lack of sleep don't help at all.

It won't be long, though, before we'll be voting for our favorite contestants. Get your speed dials ready!

Watch the videos after the jump.

It's the end of Hollywood week, which means group performances! This is always a crazy point in the season, because it seems more like the Wild West than any other point of the show. People are singing songs they barely know, rehearsing until 4 in the morning, choreographing dance moves -- it's like 'Fame' the movie in miniature and on repeat. It's always interesting to see who cracks and who makes it through.

We start out with a mess of people finding groups and choosing songs. Is this how it always is? I seem to remember people being assigned groups, but maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about. During rehearsals, there seems to be a lot of Lady Gaga, which automatically makes this a lot more interesting than years past. However, while this group day may be more interesting, it is not necessarily better, as poor song choices and nerves end up taking a lot of people down.

We're into Hollywood Week on 'American Idol' (Tue., 8PM ET on FOX), and last night's show had plenty of great moments, from Ellen DeGeneres' first time sitting at the judge's table to all the talented singers destined to go the distance.

Are your favorites moving on in the competition?

Watch the videos after the jump.

(S09E10) ELLEN! I've been waiting for this. I've been a huge Ellen DeGeneres fan for years, so I was psyched to hear she was going to be a judge this year. A lot of people are worried that she'll rely too heavily on the comedy, so tonight is a big night; we finally get to see how she does.

It's also a big night because it's the beginning of Hollywood week. I always feel terrible for the people who get sent home, but I'm trying to remember this: at least they got a sweet free trip to Hollywood. That's something, right? All in all, it's a pretty good group of people, but there are several who just completely biff their auditions. How does that happen? It's a mystery for the ages. Let's ponder it together, shall we?

Last night, we just had our eighth audition episode of 'American Idol,' and I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm ready to get to Hollywood. As much as I enjoyed Neil Patrick Harris and Kristin Chenoweth, I'm also ready to see what Ellen DeGeneres is going to do in her new role as Idol's fourth judge.

Luckily, FOX has just released a promo for Hollywood week, which is next week. At that point, DeGeneres joins the judges table for the first time to whittle down the 181 people who received Golden Tickets to 24 semi-finalists. For those of you who have watched the show in previous seasons, you know it's not a quick process: these contestants will be performing over three nights, with the Top 24 not being revealed until Wednesday, February 17.

Hollywood Week continues, and the field has narrowed to 54 contestants, all vying for 36 spots in the official Season 8 lineup. But the Idol peeps switched things up by putting the judges in this giant house called "The Judge's Mansion" (???), and forcing contestants to take the long walk through the mansion and face the judges in a European parlor-type room. It's all very Vanity Fair-meets-Dallas. Anyhoo ...

Anoop Desai was first up, and the judges quickly moved him into season 8. "Love that kid," said Paula.

Von Smith addressed Simon's remark about his Hollywood Week song being "self-indulgent nonsense." But the pressure is off, at least for now, because Von made it through to the next round. And his mom couldn't be happier.

It's group night in Hollywood, and frankly, I don't really get it. I mean, when the contestants get to American Idol, they don't perform as groups that often. And when they do, they're coached and have someone else doing all the choreography and such. Is it that important for them to do it at this stage of the game? Because what usually happens is that some contestants with great voices end up going home because of their awful group.

Anyway, there were plenty of tears, drama, and all-night rehearsals, but it's all good for the ratings.

It's Hollywood week! We open up with Seacrest explaining that this is the biggest season of American Idol ever, which is weird, because I could have sworn that last season was the biggest season ever; or maybe it was the season before that; or the season before that one. Huh. So, in this, the biggest season ever, we have 147 hopefuls who have made it to Hollywood.

The contestants are on the stage at the Kodak theater, when Simon comes in and tells them that hands down, this is the most important day of their lives. As someone who just gave birth to another human being, I find this laughable; but at the same time, I like to think that there's at least one person on that stage, who, when faced with the birth of his or her own future child takes one look at the baby and says, "yeah, you're okay-- but you're no first night of Hollywood week."

(S07E09) "Welcome to a brand new Hollywood Week. This is American Idol." - Ryan Seacrest

Can I just go on record here as saying that I love love love LOVE love love (did I mention love?) the changes American Idol has made to "Hollywood Week." Gone are the forced group performances, the "When Contestants Go Wild!" bits and the breakdown at the end into three rooms, two of which move forward and one of which goes home.

Instead, every contestant gets at least two chances to make it to the third and final round. In the first round they can choose to perform with an instrument, and in the last round, they get to perform in front of the band with back-up vocals. It felt so much more like a real audition process that I'm still coming down from the high it gave me.

Is it ever too early to talk about American Idol? The next season won't start airing until January, but the rounds of auditions have already swept the country. And, it seems there will be some changes to the format of the show. In an interview with The New York Post, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe said things are being shaken up a bit this season.

In the upcoming season, if a contestant plays a musical instrument, they will be allowed to show off their talents in addition to singing. That's a big change from the past.

(S06E09) After four long weeks of auditions, we've finally made it to the infamous "Hollywood Round." Ryan tells us that 172 contestants are just five days away from becoming finalists, but "those five days are going to be a nightmare."

It might be a nightmare for the contestants, but at home, we are spared most of the mayhem. In fact, Idol speeds through most of the singing completely and a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff, as well. Where's the emotional build-up? Where's the drama? Where's Simon's nasty comments? Where's the angry outbursts from exhausted rejects pushed to the brink of insanity? I can't get a handle on who's who or who's singing what. Before I blink, people are being sent home.