From
here, written by [talk show host/tv journalist] Rita Cosby's producer.
Elliott Yamin is the real deal. We had the wonderful opportunity to interview him last night on our show, and he was so down to earth and genuinely nice both on and off camera. Since many of us on the “Live & Direct” staff are serious “American Idol” fans, we all watched him this season make his way to the finals and become one of the final three contestants. While I am still pleased that Taylor Hicks won the whole thing, I am completely confident that Elliott will end up being an enormous success and do a lot of good for some important causes close to him. He told us yesterday that he is a diabetic and partially deaf in his right ear. Elliott said he’d like to use his new platform to help spread the word about diabetes and deafness. After he said that during our interview, I realized why so many fans adore him. Elliott is the real deal, and we love him for that!