DOUBLE D-LIST Pickler, before and after

American Idol Season 5 contestant Kellie Pickler milked her Jessica Simpson ditz routine all the way to a recording contract. But judging from last night's episode, it appears she's taken her homage to the next level. Pickler stopped by the ratings juggernaut to perform her new single in a dress that showed off two very large assets suspiciously absent from last year's show.

Her transformation was so apparent, even Ryan Seacrest noticed. When she appeared on stage, he looked at her new figure, then asked her if there was anything she'd bought with her recent cash windfall. (Once the snickering died down, a giggling Pickler, who won over teenage boys everywhere by pronouncing salmon, sal-mon, replied "shoes.") Reached for comment, her spokesperson demurred, attributing his client's new look to "the miracle of the undergarment." As for Mr. Seacrest's backhanded remark? "I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but if that's actually what he was referring to, I think that's pretty tacky."

Photos: Splash News & Picture Agency, PicklerKellie.com