By SARAH BULL

Tanned and toned: Jennifer Lopez shows off her impressive toned stomach as she arrives at the American Idol finalists party last night


She might be 41 and the mother of two-year-old twins, but Jennifer Lopez proved last night she still has the body of a 20-year-old as she attended the American Idol finalists party in a stomach-baring shirt and tiny shorts.

The singer smiled and waved at photographers while showing off her impressive toned abs in the cropped top, which she teamed with a black and white checked jacket and high-waisted shorts.

Lopez attended the event, held at the The Grove in Los Angeles, shortly after deciding the top 13 on American Idol alongside fellow judges Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler.


Daring: The 41-year-old mother-of-twins, seen here with producer Redone, teamed her stomach-baring shirt with a pair of high-waisted black shorts and a checked jacket


The trio were due to choose a final 12 from the 24 remaining singers on the TV talent show, but ended up putting through three wildcard choices after failing to reach a decision.

And last night the top 13 celebrated their success at the Fox party, with all the finalists posing ahead of the live performance shows starting next week.

But the star of the evening was undoubtedly Jennifer, in her daring but fashion-forward outfit.


The Top 13: American Idol Finalists Jacob Lusk, Haley Reinhart, Thia Megia, (back row) Lauren Alaina, Stefano Langone, Naima Adedapo, Karen Rodriguez, Ashthon Jones, James Durbin, Scotty McCreery, Pia Toscano, (front) Paul McDonald and Casey Abrams


Colourful: Naima Adedapo (left) and Thia Megia went for colourful outfits in a bid to stand out from the crowd at the event


The singer-turned-actress has struggled to get back to her pre-pregnancy weight after welcoming twins Max and Emme in February 2008.

A keen follower of the Dukan Diet, a French weight-loss plan which is high on protein, Jennifer has worked hard to get back into shape - and the results certainly show.

She said recently: 'I worked out a lot. I struggled to get rid of the last 20 pounds. I had to change my eating habits after having the twins.

'I eat a lot less now than I used to. But I love bread and you're not allowed bread with most diets.'


Here come the girls: (Left to right) Pia Toscano, Lauren Alaina and Ashthon Jones pose for photographers on the blue carpet


Black and sparkly: Hailey Reinhart (left) and Karen Rodriguez opted for red carpet staples for the party


Jennifer also showed off the results of her strict diet and exercise regime when she premiered her new music video On The Floor on American Idol last night.

The song, on which she collaborated with music producer RedOne, is a thumping club track which sees the singer take on two different personalities in the video, shot inside a nightclub.

Talking about the video recently, Jennifer said: 'I play one character where she kind of runs this party, acts like she's kind of bored with it, but at the same time is really loving it and loves this underground party dance culture.

'So I got to be wild and crazy, and at the same time I got to be sexy and sweet too.'


Smiles all round: (Left to right) Scotty McCreery, James Durbin and Stefano Langone give photographers their best shot


Dressed to impress: Casey Abrams, Jacob Lusk and Paul McDonald are suited and booted


Jennifer had given fans the opportunity to vote for the ending of the video, after filming two alternative versions, before debuting the finished version on the show last night.

In the video, Jennifer is seen flaunting her flat stomach stomach in several different outfits, causing Idol host Ryan Seacrest to comment afterwards: 'Those abs are looking good!'

But while Jennifer wowed on the red carpet with her outfit, she did have some competition from the American Idol girls, who tried to outdo each other in various colourful clothes.


Judges: Randy Jackson poses with Idol host Ryan Seacret while Steven Tyler goes for a unique look in a pink frilly shirt


Naima Adedapo, who narrowly avoided being sent home as she was put through as one of the show's wildcard choices, arrived in a pretty patchwork dress while Thia Megia, the youngest of the contestants at just 15, wore an alphabet knitted jumper and denim shorts.

Pia Toscano went for a flirty nude dress, while Lauren Alaina opted for jeans and a floral silk one-shouldered top.

Meanwhile Ashthon Jones, who was also put through as a wildcard choice, went for a geometric purple and black tight dress and black leggings, while Haley Reinhart and Karen Rodriguez went for black sparkly dresses.


Feisty: Jennifer debuted her new video On The Floor on the show last night, after giving fans the chance to choose the ending for the video


Some of the boys also went all out on the blue carpet, with Jacob Lusk opting for purple shoes to match his shirt, and Paul McDonald opting for a unique blue shirt printed with bird motifs.

Scotty McCreery, James Durbin, Stefano Langone and Casey Abrams also attended the event, basking in their new-found fame.

Other celebrities to attend the event included judges Steven Tyler, who opted to wear a bright pink frilly shirt, and Randy Jackson, along with host Ryan Seacrest.
TV chef Gordon Ramsay also put in an appearance, along with actresses Devon Kelly and Liza Lapira.


Famous faces: TV chef Gordon Ramsay was one of the celebrity guests at last night's party


Making an appearance: Actresses Devon Kelly (left) and Liza Lapira posed up for photographers outside the party




source: dailymail