The chairman of Fox Entertainment told the nation’s TV critics Thursday that Paula Abdul’s departure from American Idol was “not our choice, not what we wanted to happen” but the network is moving ahead with plans to temporarily fill her seat with guest judges. Katy Perry and Victoria Beckham, in fact, are already confirmed to fill in at least once during the audition process that begin Aug. 7. Fox hopes to recruit more “female pop stars, female performers.”
“We don’t have a a big announcement to make on what we are going to do,” admits Fox Entertainment chairman Peter Rice. “For the past 24 hours, we’re focusing on auditions…Between now and January we will find a permanent solution. There is no expectation that these guest judges will be long-term for us. All of these people we talked to have successful careers so they would not be available [to serve as a] judge.” Rice added that while it is not definite that Abdul will be replaced at this point, it’s “probable.”
Rice reminded the press that Adbul’s contract was the only one up this year and that Fox offered what they felt was a “fair” and “substantial raise” (an insider says it amounted to a 30 percent pay bump that would have taken her to eight figures). Nevertheless, Abdul decided to leave.
“We are very sad she is not coming back,” says Rice. “She was an important part of the Idol family.”
That said, Rice said Abdul’s departure provides an opportunity to inject new energy in the now nine-year-old talent show. “Our job over the next four or five months is to really consider what is fun, what makes it great television,” Rice said. “The amount of talk and feedback this has generated really shows that people are engaged in how the show will evolve after she’s gone.”
Rice also attempted to clear up any misconception regarding Ryan Seacrest’s contract — especially considering widely published rumors that Abdul was hoping to snag a pay boost that would take her close to Seacrest’s new $15 million-per-year salary. Rice said that Seacrest’s rich deal was made with 19 Entertainment’s parent company for future cycles of Idol in addition to other projects; he is not being paid $15 million solely to host Idol.
More Paula Abdul and ‘American Idol’:
Paula Abdul: Reaction from Ryan Seacrest, Randy Jackson, and more…
Fox confirms Paula Abdul leaving ‘American Idol’
Kara Dioguardi returning to ‘American Idol’
Fox exec: Paula ‘not coming back’ to ‘Idol’
Comments (1-15) of 77 Add your comment
Oh, LORD! Not guest judges! They should just leave the panel at three. Four judges are too many, and guest judges usually don’t have much to offer.
Here! Here! I whole-heartedly agree!
Yes, three judges is enough. Kara is the best.
Ozzie Osborn
I love the line about how the guests can’t be permanent because they ‘have successful careers.’ In other words, Simon Paula and Randy did not have successful careers before Idol. lol
Let’s get Sharon Osbourne off the joke of a show she is currently judging and get her on AI. I would love Sharon Osbourne to be the new judge!
Before Idol… Randy who…
Replace her with Sharon Osbourne
Please, Being married to a once-gifted muscian is NOT the same as having any musical ability or knowledge yourself. Sharon Osborne has never done anything except pimp her kids out on a reality TV show to keep the bucks rolling in since Ozzie is to feeble to make music any more. She should stick to judging people who spit milk out through their nose, that’s what she’s best at.
Sharon is pretty smart when it comes to the music business. She basically helped launch Ozzy’s solo career.
she sucks on AGT. She is no judge of talent
No, please not. Michael Slezak would be better. Or bring back a former contestant as a judge: Danny Gokey.
Have you lost your mind? LOL
Ozzie gets my vote to be a PERMANENT JUDGE on the panel of FAIR AND IMPARTIAL…SNARK
Oh, bring Paula back. She has argued for talented people. She fought for David Cook and look what happened there. Your guest judges normally stink.
Maybe five judges would be better and contestants could perform a minute and 30 seconds of each song with a full band. That will probably be a reality in 2011.
Maybe the chairman of entertainment should be replaced.
I agree. Seems like there is some shady things going on. Paula leaves then so am I. If anyone needs to go it should be the new judge, whatever her name is,LOL! Good going Fox, another viewer gone here.
I would only watch it because of the three original judges. Randy, Paula and Simon. I cannot even stand that disgusting SeaCrust they are paying this ungodly sum. Good luck. unless I am forced to watch it by a friend or relative, I will find something else better to do with my time
Get rid of Kara. No one cares for her and get Paula back!
Yes, I do. Kara forever. She can sing and write songs.
WHO cares if Kara can sing it is about the contestans you idiot. It Paula is gone so is my entire house hold. Bye bye america Idol. FOX sucks. Good thing there are other shows to wacth in the same time slot and I won’t be missing anything. I think it is time they take Idol off the air. I don’t knowwhy there is a money issue they all do the same job so why try screw paula over and why did they need Kara in the first place she is snoot and unlikeable. Be gone with her. BYE BYE KARA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paula was a part of the mix that made AI what it WAS. With her gone…YAWN. Time for Netflix.
Kara is way too full of herself and if that piece of trash she co-wrote is any sample of her “talent”….puhleeze! I thought Paula was sincere when she was …’there’…..but we all could see she has problems. Dump Kara (which isn’t going to happen this year) and get a new person : black, female with a brain? Till then…see ya….
Need more charisma and expert music knowledge on this show to keep people interested. Randy’s good, Simon’s learning, Kara is a beginner. Paula will be missed!
They should hire Cher as the fourth judge. She’d be great with Simon.
That’s a very interesting choice. She has had a long career, unlike the two others that have been mentioned as guest. How about someone like Carly Simon or Cyndi Lauper? Or since country is so popular, someone like Reba McIntyre or someone else with a longer career than one hit song.