‘Idol’ hopeful can keep singing

David Hernandez won’t be stripped of his chance to compete on “American Idol.”

A person close to the show, who is not authorized to comment publicly and asked not to be identified, said there were no plans to remove Hernandez from the Fox singing competition -- despite the semifinalist’s past as a male stripper.

The 24-year-old from Glendale, Ariz., once worked as an adult entertainer at Dick’s Cabaret in Phoenix, appearing fully nude and performing lap dances for the club’s “mostly male” clientele, strip club manager Gordy Bryan said Monday.

In 2003, semifinalist Frenchie Davis was dismissed from “Idol” because of her appearance on an adult website, but Antonella Barba remained in the competition last year after racy photos of her surfaced on the Internet. The source who confirmed that Hernandez will remain said Davis’ situation was different because of the site’s age-themed content.

Fox and the producers declined to comment on Hernandez, who was scheduled to perform in a live telecast Tuesday night. All the singers, including Hernandez, have been unavailable for interviews.