‘American Idol’ Jordin Sparks a big fan of contestant Sanjaya

New York – Until now, when asked her favorite male singers, Jordin Sparks topped the list with John Mayer and Justin Timberlake. But, the effervescent new “American Idol” champ said Wednesday, she’s got another name to add: Sanjaya Malakar.

“He had so much guts,” the 17-year-old “American Idol” winner told The Associated Press. “He had so much strength. He got a lot of criticism, but for him to go out on that stage and hold his head high … I really look up to him for that. He’s just an amazing kid.”

The lanky Malakar, also 17, made a strong impression during the sixth season of the Fox competition, transforming from shy guy to media superstar in a span of weeks.

Sparks said “the point of the show … is to keep who you like, who you want to see the next week. Sanjaya gave that to the people.”

The two teens will sing with other finalists on the “American Idol” concert tour, which kicks off July 6 in Sunrise, Fla., and wraps up Sept. 23 in Manchester, N.H.

After that, Sparks says she intends to “hit the studio very hard” to finish work on her upcoming solo album, which “has to be out before Thanksgiving.” Her main goal, she says, is to record “encouraging” tracks.

“I want people to roll down the windows and blast the music loud. … It will be just a Jordin album and, hopefully, people will like it.”

Katherine Heigl says she just wants to play ‘happy people’

New York – Katherine Heigl says castmate Isaiah Washington apologized to her on the set of “Grey’s Anatomy” after she publicly denounced his use of an anti-gay slur.

“Isaiah thanked me, which I didn’t understand,” the 28-year-old actress tells Entertainment Weekly. “He was almost grateful. I don’t know Isaiah well, but he takes his work seriously and he loves his character.”

Washington came under fire for using the epithet at the Golden Globe Awards in January while denying he’d used it previously against fellow “Grey’s” star T.R. Knight. Heigl, who plays outspoken Dr. Izzie Stevens on the hit ABC medical drama, says she was “furious and frustrated” at the time, so she leapt to Knight’s defense.

“He made a big mistake, and it was thoughtless and boneheaded, and I think he’s very sorry and embarrassed,” she says in today’s issue. “This is something that will have changed the scope of his life.”

Heigl, who stars in the new Judd Apatow-directed comedy “Knocked Up,” speaks out in the interview, too, about her protracted contract negotiations with ABC. The bottom line, she says, is that she wants “the same respect they’re showing the other actors.”

And she says she doesn’t like the label that seems to go along with a woman who stands up for what she wants.

“In this town, women who don’t just snap and say, ‘OK, yes sir, yes ma’am,’ start to get a reputation for being difficult,” she says. “But within the last five years, I’ve decided it’s not worth it to me to be pushed around so much.”

McMahon promotes DVD drive as a safe diversion for troops

Palm Springs, Calif. – Former longtime “Tonight Show” sidekick Ed McMahon is urging people to donate DVDs for U.S. troops in Iraq, saying movies offer a safe and comforting escape from wartime realities.

“This program accomplishes two things: the troops are entertained and they know that citizens at home care and support them,” McMahon, 84, said Wednesday during ceremonies at the Palm Springs Airport’s USO facility.

Operation DVD collects new and used DVDs to distribute overseas to U.S. military personnel. The year-old program has already collected more than 250,000 DVDs.

“This war in Iraq is unusual because soldiers never know where the next attack will come from. They need a safe mode of recreation since they become potential targets playing soccer or softball outdoors,” said McMahon, a retired Marine officer who flew artillery-spotting missions in the Korean War.

Operation DVD began when a soldier approached the Rev. Scott Dryden in Kansas last May requesting parishioners donate books and DVDs for fellow troops overseas. The group American Veterans – AMVETS – then signed on to the project.