Fantasia Barrino has pledged to support former Village People co-founder and star Victor Willis in his bid to become an American Idol judge.
 
Willis has met with show producers and admits he's keen to join Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler on the new season of the talent search, which Barrino won in 2004.
 
And after backing the Y.M.C.A. hitmaker online, Barrino agreed to meet Willis face to face over dinner in Culver City, California.

The two stars met for the first time on Wednesday night, when Willis told Fantasia he was still in secret talks to take over the vacant Idol judge's chair.
 
His publicist, Linda Miller, tells WENN, "According to Victor's American Idol representative, no final decision has been made.
 
"He's still in the running but all meetings between Victor and the Idol rep thus far have been very secretive." Fantasia's verdict: "I was happy to meet him in person and he's a nice guy."
 
Simon Cowell's vacant chair on the show has been filled by Aerosmith rocker Steven Tyler, but Idol producers have yet to confirm the rest of the new judging line-up.