Seeing stars: Mega-watt Idol Gives Back ranks as season's biggest celebrity-fest
04/08/08 11:16 AM
By ED BARK
Add the three major party presidential candidates to Wednesday's Idol Gives Back, now expanded to two-and-a-half hours with an early start at 6:30 p.m. (central).
Taped Sunday at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre, Fox's second Idol-infused charity special shapes up to be more star-studded than the Oscars, the Emmys or -- dare it be said -- Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice awards.
Even Ellen DeGeneres showed up in a pre-taped segment after dropping out as the event's previously announced co-host due to an "unforeseen production schedule" conflict. Also participating on tape were Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain, whose participations were announced Tuesday in a Fox press release.
Other newly revealed participants include British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Jim Carrey, Alicia Keys, Adam Sandler, George Lopez, Kyra Sedgwick, Whoopi Goldberg, Maria Shriver, Kobe Bryant, Felicity Huffman, David Beckham, Toby Keith and Julianne Moore.
They join the likes of Brad Pitt, Bono, Celine Dion, Eli and Peyton Manning, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Forest Whitaker, Reese Witherspoon, Teri Hatcher, Carrie Underwood, Snoop Dogg, Kiefer Sutherland, Maroon 5 and John Legend.
Last year's first Idol Gives Back raised a reported $76 million for charity. This year they're shooting for $100 million on behalf of The Children's Defense Fund; The Children's Health Fund; The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Make It Right; Malaria No More; and Save the Children's U.S. Programs.
