Danyl Johnson, a 27-year-old schoolteacher from Reading, England, wowed Simon Cowell in his audition for England’s hit television show The X Factor.

Mr. Johnson, as his students would address him, took the stage modestly then proceeded to floor the judges with his rendition of Joe Cocker’s famous song “With A Little Help From My Friends.”

Based on him hopping around on stage, I imagine he was a bit more confident than 2006 when he first auditioned unsuccessfully.

Even notoriously harsh critic Simon Cowell couldn’t muster up a slight against Johnson. After Johnson received a standing ovation from the audience, Cowell said, “I’ve been doing this for how many years? Danyl, that was single-handedly the best first audition I’ve ever heard.”

Video of the audition has spread like wildfire. You can check out the impressive clip below:

Here’s to hoping American Idol can offer someone just as good when they debut (without Paula Abdul, sigh) in a couple of months.

Word is out that Paula Abdul is not happy with her post at American Idol, and if producers don’t renegotiate her contract favorably, she may not return to the show as a judge.

Auditions for the ninth season are scheduled to start Aug. 6 and according to Abdul’s manager, she still doesn’t have a proposal for a new contract from FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment, the production companies behind the show. The new season is scheduled to premiere in January.

According to the LA Times “Idol Tracker” blog, Idol host Ryan Seacrest just signed a deal worth a reported $45 million that will keep him on the job for at least the next three years, doubling his salary. Meanwhile, Simon Cowell has a contract that expires next year and is jockeying for a reported $144 million, a figure for which Cowell hasn’t confirmed but says talks are ongoing, and Randy Jackson is booked through 2011.

Whether the newest judge, Kara DioGuardi will return or not is still up in the air. But if these reports are true, it sounds like Abdul isn’t being valued as much as other judges. I think Idol’s sister show, So You Think You Can Dance has better judges anyway, but I digress. The truth is, Paula Abdul has always been the weakest link. She became known as the nice judge, but nice to a fault. Her critiques were often not thorough and sometimes incoherent. Producers may have tolerated her because she hadn’t demanded anymore money until now, but now that she is, they could be weighing their options, realizing that bringing her back as a judge may not be a priority.

I’m glad that Abdul is fighting for what she thinks is right, because if other judges are successfully upping the ante, then she should too. However, it’s probably just her time to move on. In 2007, she forayed further into reality TV with the Bravo show, Hey Paula, which was unsuccessful, but her manager says she has several ideas for other projects.

I think she’s still marketable but her days as an Idol judge are numbered. She was never a judge that I checked for anyway. What do you think? If she leaves Idol, will her presence be missed?

I think it’s time I develop a British accent and disdain for mediocrity. It pays a lot better than writing.

For all of you American Idol fans who love to hate on Simon Cowell, you’re probably the main reason he will reportedly receive the raise of a lifetime.

Indeed, Cowell’s salary will jump from $36 million last year to somewhere between $100 and $144 million per year.

It seems American Idol pulls in an estimated $900 million a year and Simon wants a bigger piece of the pie. I personally would kill dreams if producers promised me a Honda or my own Popeye’s franchise. I guess I need to start aiming higher.

Arguably, when I was stuck on the show when it first hit the airwaves, I did mainly turn in to hear Cowell’s slick or in some cases, flat out evil comments. I can understand why he feels he’s owed a bit more as he’s helped build the show’s brand.

Of course, when I do watch the show, I now laugh at Paula Abdul and whatever it is that makes her act as spacey as she does. They should give her a raise, too.

As for Randy Jackson, only give him more money if you can add a clause to his contract that states he can’t say dog every other second anymore.

Ryan Seacrest doesn’t need a raise, though. He’s already got like 18 jobs.

Tell us: Do you think Simon Cowell is worth $100+ million a year?

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