"American Idol" season 10 just started, but if you think Nashville auditioner Lauren Alaina has the contest in the bag, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe says just you wait.

"You haven't really seen how strong the talent is yet," he cautions. "We can afford to lose 10 great ones this year because they're that good!"

It's a good reminder to all "Idol" worshipers that the show doesn't really get going until the live episodes.

Lythgoe, returning to a rebooted "Idol" after a two-year break, recently took a few minutes away from editing the show to talk About The Author: Steven Rogers
Steven Rogers is a senior entertainment reporter for Reality TV World and been covering the reality TV genre for two decades.