'Idol' Katharine McPhee Breaks Her Foot

American Idol runner-up, Katharine McPhee, has been battling some tough times lately. First, she came clean about her bulimia issue, which she tackled before doing American Idol. Next, she developed bronchitis and laryngitis, forcing her off the American Idols Live! tour. In her triumphant return, Katharine McPhee broke her foot, leaving her to finish out her set in a pair of "gardening slippers".

MSNBC relayed the gory details given by Roger Widynowski, an RCA rep. "The "American Idol" runner-up tripped backstage before a performance Tuesday night in Charlotte, N.C. However, McPhee was able to take the stage - wearing "slipper-sandals" - to sing two songs. She went to a hospital after the performance, and X-rays showed a hairline fracture in her left foot."

Roger Widynowski did go on to give the quote everyone wanted to hear. "She's in discomfort, but she's fine. She will continue on the tour and is not defaulting."

The fracture sustained by Katharine McPhee at the Bobcats Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, makes this the third year in a row that the American Idol runner-up has broken their foot. In 2004, Diana DeGarmo fell down a flight of stairs in Grand Rapids, Michigan, while on the American Idols Live! tour. The fall tore a ligament in her foot. In 2005, Carrie Underwood's "Vice-Idol", Bo Bice, was jumping around on stage when he broke his foot upon landing. That leaves Clay Aiken as the last Idol runner-up to escape with his own two feet.

Since its U.S. inception in 2001 on Fox, American Idol has turned a variety of everyday "average Joe" types into household names, including such singers as Kelly Clarkson, Justin Guarini, Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Jennifer Hudson, Constantine Maroulis, Bo Bice, Nikko Smith, and Carrie Underwood, even UC Berkeley student, William Hung for his awful yet lovable rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs." To date, American Idol has only produced a handful of bonafide pop superstars in Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Carrie Underwood selling more than 10 million albums. So far, of this year's Idols, Katharine McPhee, Chris Daughtry and Kellie Pickler have signed recording deals. Winner Taylor Hicks got his $1 million recording contract as the prize for winning American Idol.

[Additional Sources: MSNBC]