American Idol Contestant Sanjaya Malakar to Appear on Tonight Show Tonight  4/19/07

CONTROVERSIAL ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ CONTESTANT SANJAYA MALAKAR MAKES HIS FIRST POST-‘IDOL’ APPEARANCE ON NBC’S ‘TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO’ TONIGHT (APRIL 19)

BURBANK – April 19, 2007 – Controversial "American Idol" contestant Sanjaya Malakar -- who was finally voted off on Wednesday (April 18) night -- stunned judges and viewers each weeks as he remained in the running. Tonight, the unflappable teen crooner will make his first post-"Idol" appearance and will share his insider's story on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET).

Malakar's performances often were the subject of ridicule, especially from the particularly crass judge, Simon Cowell, and for once it seemed like the buzz-makers agreed. Each week that Malakar remained in the running, the stunned collective media seemed flabbergasted, and it became a topic of much snowballing debate and many late-night talk show jokes.

Last night, the armchair music critics were vindicated when the contestant known to much of the world as simply "Sanjaya" was voted off. Cowell had called Malakar's most recent performance "utterly horrific" -- and this time America agreed.

"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" is from Big Dog Productions in association with NBC Universal Television Studio. Debbie Vickers is the executive producer. "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" airs Monday-Fridays at 11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. (ET).