American Idol

William Hung can still draw an audience -- nearly 8 years after murdering "She Bangs" on "American Idol" ... he's landed a sweet gig in law enforcement, of all places.

TMZ has learned Hung is now working for the L.A. County Sheriff's Department as a Technical Crime Analyst -- fancy name for a dude who crunches numbers to help prevent future crimes.

Just last week, William dropped some knowledge (above) at a training facility. Communication was always his strength.

The honeymoon is over for "American Idol" alum Lee DeWyze -- the season 9 champ has been dumped by his record label ... just a year-and-a-half after winning the title.

DeWyze was signed with RCA Records -- whose artist roster includes former Idol stars Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and Jordin Sparks.

As for Lee -- he's taking the whole thing in stride -- according to his rep, who says DeWyze is "in a good place right now" and working on "several exciting projects".

"American Idol" alum Chris Daughtry is hoping to actually make a little money off his Oak Ridge, NC home -- he's listed the home for just $900 more than be bought it for five years ago!

Chris bought the home back in 2006 for $690,000 ... and he's now put it on the market for $699,900.

Nicole Scherzinger, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, L.A. Reid and Steve Jones are the cast of the new singing reality competition show "The X-Factor" -- while Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson and Ryan Seacrest rule the roost on "American Idol."

Question is ...

The big "X Factor" premiere last night fell way short of Simon Cowell's expectations -- earning just over half the ratings "American Idol" got during its premiere in January.

Simon's new show averaged an 8.7 rating, while the tenth season premiere of "Idol" pulled in a 16.4 -- and in last night's head-to-head ... "Modern Family" and "Criminal Minds" won out.

Simon called in to TMZ Live yesterday -- telling us, he desperately wanted to beat out his alma mater in the ratings department ... but based on last night's performance, that's gonna be an uphill battle.

To be fair -- the first ever episode of "American Idol" only scored a 6.1 in 2002 ... and has since had years to build a loyal audience. Then again, singing competitions were new back then.

Simon Cowell is out for blood tonight on "X Factor" -- telling TMZ, he wants to beat "American Idol" (and every other show for that matter) in the ratings department.

The big "X Factor" premiere isn't competing head to head with "Idol" -- but Simon still wants to outrank his big competition, telling us, "You don't compete for the silver or the bronze ... You may not get the gold, but you die trying."

When we asked how X will measure up against similar singing competitions -- Simon responded, "It's definitely going to be better than the other shows."

As for what to look out for tonight -- Simon says the show is full of "nutcases" ... and one audition is especially terrifying.

The relationship they said would never last ... didn't last.

"Dancing with the Stars" pro Mark Ballas and "American Idol" hottie Pia Toscano have officially broken up ... according to People.com. The split is said to be "mutual."

"American Idol" reject Bucky Covington won't be prosecuted for allegedly jacking $1,500 from a bar back in June -- after the Florida Attorney General's Office decided there wasn't enough evidence to make a successful case against him.

TMZ broke the story -- an event promoter accused Bucky of calling the shots in the alleged theft -- and ordering his brother and sister-in-law to snatch $1,500 from the cash box at the Iron Horse Saloon in Ormond Beach, Florida.

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's separation has taken a back seat.

Nearly a month after the couple split, the two singers were spotted basking in the Long Island sun near Sagg Main Beach in Southampton ... inside a red Mustang convertible.

No explanation yet for the unexpected reunion today -- but Marc's rep tells TMZ, he was on the East Coast visiting his children.

5:32 PM: A rep for J.Lo tells TMZ, "They are NOT back together -- they were just visiting each other and the children."

"American Idol" Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe is way too smart to play coy with the judges who helped resurrect the show -- Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson have all re-signed.

Nigel made the announcement on Ryan Seacrest's radio show this AM, saying, "I am delighted to say that all three judges, along with the brilliant host of 'American Idol' are back for the next season."

The buzz is ... Jennifer got a huge pay bump -- from $12 million last season to $20 mil next season. Steven Tyler still has a year to go before his contract is up, but we're hearing he got an increase as well.

Casey Abrams didn't plan on revealing to the world he was dealing with ulcerative colitis when he became a contestant on "American Idol" -- but then he became hospitalized, and saw himself splashed all over TMZ, and decided to speak out.

Abrams recently announced he's the spokesperson for a national disease awareness campaign called IBD Icons, designed to let people know that living with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) isn't the end of the world.

Abrams tells TMZ he didn't know how to handle his disease when he went on "Idol," which landed him in the hospital -- and he read all about it on TMZ. He told us, "It's kind of funny that right when I went to the hospital and checked TMZ, the headline was 'Casey Abrams Hospitalized.'"

Now he's using his "Idol" fame to raise awareness about the disease, telling us, "I want people to send in their stories of how they overcomeit. I don't have the best speaking skills, but people know who I am and I feel they might listen to a familiar face. I feel I have a responsibility to step up and talk about this really graphic disease."

Let's hope Fantasia Barrino listed "cash" on her new baby registry, because she might need it -- TMZ has learned she's on the receiving end of a new $25,000 lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, filed last month, the former "American Idol" champ -- who announced earlier this week she is expecting baby #2 -- is being sued by a collection company on behalf of U.S. Bank for allegedly owing them money.

The lawsuit doesn't explain why, and neither side would go into details, but the suit is asking for $25,057.02 plus 10% interest per year dating back to May 2009.

The "Idol" gang FREAKED OUT when a series of crazy "coincidences" occurred in the Bev Hills mansion back in March ... including a spooky spider infestation, flickering lights and one of the wannabes SWORE they saw a white sheet come to life and float down the stairs.

But now, the house has officially sold to a guy named Steven B. Dunn -- the guy who started a baby product company called Munchkin, Inc. ... which posted more than $100 mil in sales in 2008.

The house -- 9 beds, 9 baths, giant pool, marble all over the place and a motor court with enough room to park 100 cars -- was originally on the market for $12 mil ... so it appears Dunn got himself quite a deal.

Bucky -- who placed 8th on "Idol" back in 2006 -- was set to perform at the Iron Horse Saloon in Ormond Beach, Florida on June 30 as part of a July 4 NASCAR race week celebration ... when the promoter suffered chest pains and was rushed to a nearby hospital.

With the promoter out of the picture, Bucky allegedly saw an opportunity to raid the cash box -- and instructed his brother and his brother's wife to pull off a snatch and grab.

The promoter filed a police report, obtained by TMZ, claiming the Covington gang made off with roughly $1,500 bucks that night ... which they refuse to give back.

TMZ spoke to Bucky ... who adamantly denies the allegations ... but adds, "I'm just glad I'm big enough to be on TMZ! Thanks!"

Fuller filed a legal complaint, and his publicist told Deadline.com that Fox and Fremantle refused to honor a 2005 contract that Fuller claims gave him both the title and the cash.

Here's the interesting backstory. Simon Fuller and Simon Cowell hate each other. The bad blood started over who got the creative credit for "A.I." and it has been building ever since.

UPDATE: FOX and Fremantle have released a joint statement -- saying, "Mr. Fuller has not been hired, nor performed any duties, on the U.S. version of "The X Factor."