Why Maria Menounos dons Giants-colored bikini and American Idol star strips down

American Idol star strips down

If you've had the theme music stuck in your head since 2002, you've cringed at the thought of standing face to face with Simon Cowell, and you are still wondering why Sanjaya's singing 'talents' lasted so many episodes, then you're probably a huge 'American Idol' fan. America's most popular

talent-search-turned-TV-sensation has spawned quite the variety of new musical artists. For every small town Carrie Underwood, there's a wacky Adam Lambert. So which of your favorite 'Idol' stars are still hitting a high note and whose careers have fallen flat? \

KATHARINE MCPHEE: 'American Idol' season 5 runner-ups Katharine McPhee strips down for the March issue of GQ magazine to promote her highly-anticipated NBC show, 'SMASH.' If these photos aren't enough to get you to watch her show, McPhee tells the mag, 'What if I tell your readers that in episode five I take my clothes off?' Too bad it's not true ... -- BY ROSANNE SALVATORE

When I tell McPhee how hard I resisted watching Smash, she laughs. "Yeah, this sounds very familiar. Like most of the other very straight men that I've spoken with." As a penance, I tell her I want to help persuade more men to watch the show. Here's what we come up with.
Reason #1: Your lady does it for you. Now do it for her. "Listen," McPhee says, "I go see all the guy movies, so now I know I love them. But you have to be open to it. I would say to the girlfriends out there: Just nail him down, make him watch an episode with you."
Reason #2: It's not like they're singing constantly. "I can understand why guys wouldn't be into Glee. You know, that's a pretty heavy musical show. That show does, like, six songs in an episode. We'll do, at most, three."
Reason #3: "Okay, how about this: What if I tell your readers that in episode five I take off all my clothes?" Sold! But hold on—would it be true

Why Maria Menounos dons Giants-colored bikini

Maria Menounos was a sight for sore eyes (and sore losers) Monday when she stripped down to a skimpy Giants-colored bikini in the middle of Times Square.The 33-year-old "Extra" correspondent found herself on the losing end of a bet against her colleague A.J. Calloway Sunday after her beloved New England Patriots fell short of the Super Bowl championship.

According to the terms of the bet, Menounos had to host the show in a red, white and blue bikini - and luckily for her, a pair of warm, furry black Uggs. If Calloway had lost, he would have had to don a Patriots cheerleader outfit.

"I hate bets. I'm never doing this again," she said as she doffed her white robe.

Calloway and fellow cohost Mario Lopez couldn't help but admire her toned figure.

God is a Giants fan!" Calloway exclaimed.

Lopez later added on his Twitter: "My girl @mariamenounos lost a Super Bowl bet & had to wear a NY Giants bikini! Big props..Look great."

But though Menounos was a little nervous about debuting her beach body for all the world to see, she was ultimately a good sport about the whole ordeal."Sorry, but you know what - I love the Pats for fighting to the bitter end. #PATRIOTpride," she wrote on her Twitter account.

This past weekend, Menounos was spotted having a ball with celebs in Indianapolis Saturday night - including tebowing with Tim Tebow.