Burien's hairdresser to the Federal Way star

For weeks, Jill Ochsner has been glued to her television set. The evening of April 18 was no exception.

It was a memorable night as she watched Sanjaya Malakar be voted off of American Idol. Ochsner knows Sanjaya well-especially his famous, thick head of hair.

Sanjaya has graced her hairdresser's chair twice as she helped prepare him for stardom. She has colored and cut his locks. She has also used Sanjaya as a model.

Known for his ever-changing hairstyles, many say Sanjaya's hair gained more fame and attention than his singing on American Idol.

When the end came after he belted out "Let's Give Them Something to Talk About," approximately 8.1 million viewers were left marveling about the one thing that made Sanjaya stand out from the rest-his hair.

Ochsner recently sipped her morning coffee at Burien's London House Salon and shared some insider information about Sanjaya.

A quick look at her tidy beauty service station, surprisingly, reveals no pictures of Sanjaya. Still, she can now be described as a celebrity hairstylist. The 17 year old is one of her most prestigious clients.

"He has fabulous, super thick hair. He doesn't have a perm, it's a natural wave," said Ochsner, quick to describe her most notorious customer's mane,

Asked to spill the beans about something people do not know about the American Idol icon, her answer was surprising. It had nothing to do with his straight, wavy or Mohawk hair.

"He's a fabulous cook," she said. "He really enjoys cooking." To her delight, the family is even contemplating giving Sanjaya his own kitchen.

Television modeling offers now are pouring in to Sanjaya.

Ochsner, a hairdresser since 1985, moved to Seattle from Portland 18 months ago. Being a part of the bustle at the full-service salon is important to her.

She remains low-keyed about her connection with the emerging superstar.

Sanjaya grew up with Ochsner's children and they are related. He is one of her favorite topics these days.

The mere mention of his name makes her smile." He is super sweet and soft spoken," she said. "He bubbles with personality. He is a sweetheart."

She enjoys sharing Sanjaya's dreams of a career in music and how he completed high school early to pursue this.

Ochsner defends Sanjaya, one of the most controversial contestants on American Idol to date, reminding people that he is young and has no professional experience other than singing in a choir.

One reason he made it so far in the competition, she said, is that he had the support of many groups-teens, the Indian culture, even professionals at Microsoft.

Still, the critics have been unusually harsh on him.

The flip side, of course, is fans who love and adore him. Some even contacted the city of Federal Way, where he lives, to have a city mandated Sanjaya Malakar Day.

Sanjaya and his sister Shyamali auditioned for American Idol in Seattle on September 19, just nine days after Sanjaya's 17th birthday.

He attended high school for one year in the Shoreline area, before transferring to Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way.

"I've gotten in trouble for singing in school pretty much all of my life," the American Idol sensation said.

"I was always sent out because I was 'distracting the class' but that's just the entertainer in me. I've wanted to be a 'musical entertainer' since I was about five."