IT was panned by the critics -- but Bono can at least count on his wife's support for his Spider-Man musical.

The U2 frontman took to the stage in front of millions of viewers last night for the grand finale of American Idol.

He and The Edge wowed audiences with a rendition of Rise Above alongside a cast member from the €40m musical, which met with decidedly mixed reviews.

However, gorgeous wife Ali Hewson is loyally standing by her man and revealed she gave the production a big thumbs up and said Bono would do "brilliantly" on Idol.

"I love the song, it's incredible," she told the Diary. "He's doing it with Reeve Carney, who sings it on the single with him. I love the music and I think that song is an incredible song so it will be great."

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And she also said that she can't wait until the monster U2 360 tour finally comes to an end and Bono comes home to roost for a little while.

The chart-toppers received a Billboard award for having the highest-grossing tour ever, due to hit the €470m mark by the time it ends its two-year run this summer.

But Ali said she'd just be glad that she and their four kids would have their dad home when the band eventually pack up The Claw.

"It's going to be great. We really are looking forward to that. It's over at the end of July and we'll be together for the whole month.

"It's been a long run this time so I think it will be really nice to have the whole family back together again."

She also confirmed that August will be "just a rest" for the Hewson clan and she expects they'll head to their bolthole in Eze-sur-Mer in France to chill out.

Before that, she'll be heading over to Glastonbury to catch the band finally making their festival debut, having had to pull out last year after Bono injured his back. "I am going to Glastonbury. I haven't been before so that's going to be a first for him as well as me," she added.

She was looking stunning last night at the launch of her NUDE skincare range into Dun Laoghaire salon Vedas, with best pals in attendance, including Jackie Rafter.

And when asked about the secret to her youthful appearance, she puts it all down to good biology and taking care of herself.

"It's partly my skincare routine and partly that I'm blessed with great genes from my mum and my dad. The both look pretty great for their age," she explained.

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"But it's not just one thing. It's a combination of good skincare, good diet and lots of sleep and exercise. As you get older, you get more interested in keeping yourself healthier and getting the best out of your body that you can."

She admitted that it could be hard sticking to a routine, having to mind "four children and two dogs".

"Somebody asked me tonight, 'Do you ever go to bed with your make-up on?' Yes I do. Do I ever go out without make-up? All the time. "You just try and do what you can on the days that you can. But it's a combination, not just one thing."

- Melanie Finn