Taylor Hicks is the new American Idol -

Prince made a surprise performance in the finale of American Idol last night, despite passing up a guest judge opportunity by refusing to meet with contestants. He is also said to hate the show and to have never watched it. That didn’t stop him from cashing in on the show’s astronomical ratings though.

Music stars were paired with past Idol contestants for the other performances:

Last season’s victor, Carrie Underwood of Checotah, Oklahoma, opened the finale, joining Hicks and McPhee on “I Made it Through the Rain” and later soloing on “Don’t Forget to Remember Me”…

Other pairings of contestants and stars included Paris Bennett and Al Jarreau; McPhee and Meat Loaf; Chris Daughtry and Live; Elliott Yamin and Blige; Hicks and Toni Braxton, and the dozen finalists with Burt Bacharach and Dionne Warwick.

Prince was a surprise final performer, taking the stage for two songs, including “Satisfied” — and without an “Idol” contestant alongside.

29 year-old Alabama soul singer Taylor Hicks was crowned the Idol on the fifth season of the show. His win was not surprising, as he was expected to beat polished Katharine McPhee, 22.

Idol continues to pull in impressive ratings.This year’s season was the highest rated ever, with an average viewing audience of 30 million each week.

Here’s a video of the announcement and part of Taylor’s performance afterwards:

And here is Clay Aiken performing along with his impersonator: