Homes of the American Idol Judges

Where does American Idol judge Simon Cowell retire after a long day of eye rolling? The same place that Randy, Ryan, Kara and Ellen go -- home to sprawling Los Angeles estates.

The 197th season of American Idol started up again in recent weeks -- okay, it's only the ninth -- and night after blessed night boob-tubes across the world are once again blaring with auditions that showcase some of the best and worst warblers that the producers can wrangle.

This year, instead of the usual three, there are four judges including the ever-prickly Simon Cowell, Randy "Yo Dawg" Jackson, songwriter Kara Dioguardi and music loving talk show hostess Ellen Degeneres, who replaced the spacey but lovable Paula Abdul. Given all the hype and hoopla that continues unabated over the reality television juggernaut, ShelterPop thought it might be fun to have a look-see at where host Ryan Seacrest and the quartet of well-paid judges go home after slicing, dicing and sticking it to all the wannabe American Idols who can't even carry a tune.

Simon Cowell: Real Estate Size Queen
Simon Cowell, the undisputed big kahuna of American Idol, recently completed building a colossal Beverly Hills, California mansion near the deluxe estates of other insanely rich a-listers like Madonna and Tom Cruise. Cowell paid around $8 million for the property in September of 2004, knocked down the existing mansion and spent 5 years and, reportedly, another heart stopping $19 million custom building the monstrous 12,000-square-foot beast.

The sumptuous residence sits behind high hedges, tall walls and electronic gates equipped with, we can all be assured, the finest security money can buy. A double motor court is capable of comfortably parking at least 14 cars including the mogul's convertible Bentley and $1 million Bugatti Veyron.



The sleek and mostly black and white interior spaces include such celebrity style luxuries as a grand entrance gallery, a library, 20-seat screening room, state of the art home gym, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and more bedrooms and bathrooms than the brash Brit will ever need including a master suite with private solarium and, it's rumored, a tanning bed and facial tanner for pre-show touch-ups of his sour puss. The massive manse is also reported to have extensive staff quarters with a separate kitchen where Mister Cowell plans to house a live-in butler and maid.

The high on the hog living entertainment tycoon also owns a luxury home in the hoity toity Holland Park area of London and two vacation homes on the West Indies island of Barbados in the Caribbean.

Randy Jackson: Valley Boy
Second in command at the judges' table is Grammy winning music producer Randy Jackson who hunkers down in a Santa Barbara-style Mediterranean estate in Tarzana, California. Discreet electronic gates open to a long driveway that leads to a private property that includes a 5,878-square-foot main house with 5 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms as well as a detached guest house that includes a full kitchen.

Jackson listed the San Fernando Valley estate for sale back in early 2007 with an asking pirce of $3,199,000. Unfortunately, the property continues to linger and languish on the market even though he's karate chopped the price tag all the way down to $2,395,000.

Kara DioGuardi: On the Move
Property records show the sweet and super successful songwriter turned American Idol judge Kara Dioguardi owns a couple of properties around Los Angeles including a very private estate in Studio City, California, that she bought in June of 2007 for $3,500,000. Whatever renovations the sweet and recently married DioGuardi had planned for the property must be completed, or close to it, because she recently put her Beachwood Canyon bachelorette pad on the market with an asking price of $1,750,000.

The Beachwood Canyon gated property has a 3 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom home with an open floor plan, renovated kitchen, serene views of the canyon and desirable views of downtown Los Angeles. In addition to the spacious decks, DioGuardi's house includes a cedar sauna nestled up in the hillside above the house and a guest unit with separate entrance, kitchen and bathroom.

The former school teacher has also long owned a waterfront getaway in the puny and pretty community of Prospect Harbor in the great state of Maine, which is where she met her new husband, contractor Mick McCuddy.

Ryan Seacrest: At home in the Hills
Frosted, fake-baked and perfectly coiffed American Idol host Ryan Seacrest bought his Spanish-style villa in April of 2006 when he paid two-time Oscar winner Kevin Costner $11.5 million for his estate at the top of the Nichols Canyon area of Los Angeles.

Reports from the time of the purchase indicate the 8,172-square-foot. residence, which sits at the end of a long, gated driveway and is dubbed Casa de Pace, or House of Peace, has 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a media room, billiards room, wine cellar, home gym and staff quarters. The manicured grounds include a large motor court, shaded terraces and a long rectangular swimming pool overlooking the tennis court and views of Los Angeles.

The radio and television tycoon recently completed an overhaul of the mansion, which was featured in the January 2008 issue of Architectural Digest.

Ellen Degeneres: Compound queen
American Idol's newest gal at the table is chat show royalty Ellen Degeneres who was brought in to replace kooky Paula Abdul. Like Simon Cowell, Degeneres calls Beverly Hills home, where over the last few years she's spent more than $40 million creating a heavily fortified compound that offers supreme privacy and views over Los Angeles.

Degeneres bought the centerpiece of her estate in late 2007, paying Will & Grace co-creator Max Mutchnick close to $30 million for the property. The sprawling estate includes an approximately 8,500-square-foot newly built house, a separate 2,500-square-foot guest house and an infinity edged swimming pool (with a bunker underneath!) that includes a staff apartment, full gym and an 8-car underground garage where Degeneres parks her Porsches.

The private couple, who were married in the backyard of the estate in August of 2008, proceeded to buy the house next door, which they tore down, and the third and only other house on the narrow and winding street. Whispers among Tinseltown's real estate elite suggest that because the compound-craving comedian now owns every property on the road, she could ask the city of Beverly Hills for permission to gate the entire street.

Degeneres and Di Rossi also own a horse ranch in Thousand Oaks, CA that they purchased in late 2009. It's not known what the in-love ladies paid, but the property was last listed at $10 million.

Paula Abdul: House hunting?
Ever since November of 2008, after a crazed fan committed suicide in her car on the street in front of Paula Abdul's long-time residence on a secluded street above Sherman Oaks, California, it's been rumored that the ex-American Idol judge wants a new crib to call home. One source claims that always wacky Abdul actually looked at and passed on the multi-million dollar Tarzana, California, mansion that was later picked up by professional basketballer Lamar Odom and his new wife, reality television denizen Khloe Kardashian.