New 'Stars' Are Born

At the "Star Search" finale Thursday, comedian John Roy squeaked by a pretty tough competitor in the closest matchup of the night. Singer Jake Simpson "signed, sealed and delivered' a masterful performance just when he needed it most. But the smallest performer may have been the biggest winner.

Ten year-old Tiffany Evans earned her third perfect score from the judges for singing, "And I'm Telling You." Naomi Judd raved, "You were born to be a star" and Ben Stein called her an "extraordinary force of nature."

Tiffany calls it a "God-given talent." Before and after her performance, she says, she was so nervous she could not think at all. "I was really scared," she says in an interview Friday on The Early Show.

But she does know what she will do with her $100,000 prize. "Get everything paid on my education and everything. And then I probably might buy me a car," a Jaguar that is.

Singer Jake Simpson plans to do some fixing with his money, "Get surgery on my eyes" to get rid of his glasses as well as get "the panels fixed on my old classic Camaro.

"All these things that I've been wanting my entire life to do. Now I can finally do it," he says.

For his energetic performance of Stevie Wonder's hit "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," he also gets a recording contract with Sony. Simpson, like Tiffany, received 20 stars from the enthusiastic judges. "That is passion, and that is inspiring. I am a huge fan," guest judge Jessica Simpson commented.

In the comedian category, it was up to viewers at home to decide who was the best. Judges scorecards had tied him with Loni Love.

One of Roy's jokes referred to an expression used by 'Star Search' host Arsenio Hall when the scores come up on the screen: "Because white people think black trends are so cool that we don't know when it's time to stop. We are the only ones left doing this. And unfortunately, white guys are going to be saying 'hit me with the digits' for the next 30 years."

Besides the $100,000 Roy gets a development deal with CBS and a guaranteed guest appearance on a CBS show, "which I guess if CBS likes me that could be something like "King of Queens" and if they don't like me I think I could be a dead body on "C.S.I." David Caruso could turn me over," Roy says.

In the modeling category, winner Porschla Coleman walked off the runway with $100,000 plus a contract with international modeling agency Wilhelmina Models. The judges favored Porschla by one point (18), and the home audience upheld the decision and widened the gap (17). She won with 35 stars.