Jennifer Hudson catching up with early "Idol" rounds

Newly crowned Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson said she was too busy with awards season and her own projects to keep up with American Idol. Another Idol veteran, Season One winner Kelly Clarkson, was in the same predicament until recently, when she was finally able to tune in to the show that launched her recording career.

Clarkson told reporters at a Nashville press conference last week that she's enjoyed catching the early rounds of American Idol: "It's funny. This is my first year I've gotten to like watch it 'cause I'm always on tour. And everyone's like, 'Oh, it's hilarious, you should watch the beginning of it.' And I'm like, 'Oh, blah, blah, blah. I don't have time to watch it, so...' People really think they can sing. Like, it's funny. Like, they just get in there and the funny thing is the most confident ones are the most horrible and you're like, 'Awww.' And no one tells them. They need friends."

There are 10 men and 10 women remaining on Idol's sixth season competition. The guys performed last night (February 27th) and the women show their stuff tonight (February 28th) at 8 on Fox.