Erika Van Pelt on Anderson - Video

Here are some previews of Erika Van Pelt on Anderson today. Check your local listings for when it airs in your area.

She tells Anderson Cooper that she loves the New York Yankees even if she's a Boston Red Sox fan (which may or may not have affected her elimination as she sang 'New York State of Mind' on American Idol).

Watch the video here:

Anderson: So before we talk about your voice and stuff. Your makeover. I feel like Tommy Hilfiger did you wrong.
Erika: You know what. This is the funny thing, Tommy was really just the that sort of extra motivating factor for me to actually change it. I'd been wanting to change it honestly.
Anderson: Had you really? Okay.
Erika: Yeah, for months. My first road audition in Pittsburgh was in July of last year and just because of consistency with the show the producer's didn't want me to do anything to drastic until I made top ten, if I did, which I did.

Anderson: Now J Lo was critical of your performance. Do you think she was off base?
Erika: It was tough. I've had a few press journalists sort of saying I was slamming her critique. I just disagreed. When she said she wanted me to sort of un-plant my feet and move around a little bit more. I was singing New York State of Mind, it's a Billy Joel song we all watch him sit behind the piano and still emote and get everything across that he needs to get across. I just didn't feel like I needed to be dancing around to you know.

Anderson: Do you have any regrets on the performance or anything you wish you had done that you didn't?
Erika: No, that's the weird part. I just felt that I was being myself and unfortunately it wasn't quite enough to keep me on the show a little bit longer. I'm proud of what I did.
Anderson: What is it like in that moment where you're standing next to somebody who may be the person to be voted off and Ryan is the person going on and on and kind of milking the moment. What is going through your mind? Are you just praying it's the other person? You must be?
Erika: This is the weird thing about it, you all have to understand something, just about the camaraderie in the group.
Anderson: Oh I don't believe that for a second. Really? Come on?
Erika: We are literally all so close it's stupid.
Anderson: Oh please, I don't buy that for a second.
Erika: We really are though, it's insane.

Anderson: You're from Rhode Island, which is full of Red Sox fans, do you think in the voting that might have hurt you?
Erika: I thought about that.
Anderson: You want to appeal where you are from and you kind of maybe alienated some folks.
Erika: I went into a little bit of a panic mode. My mentoring session with Diddy, all he kept saying was, 'You got to feel like you're from New York. You've got to put that New York swagger.' And in the back of my mind I'm saying, 'God every Red Sox fan in the nation is going to kill me.'
Anderson: You should have warn a Red Sox jersey or hat while singing that.
Erika: Yeah, my Varitek jersey or something. Here's the thing, I love new York, I love New York city and I actually like the Yankees. I love the rivalry.