Although “American Idol” producers have already announced several format changes that will take place as soon as the show’s eighth season premieres on January 13, the question that lingers on the tip of everyone’s tongue is whether Paula Abdul is planning to leave the show.
In addition, this suspicion has been fueled by the fact that the Fox program’s producers decided to add another judge in the panel and the newcomer is none other than Kara DioGuardi. Thus, everybody started imagining a behind-the-cameras catfight, but they couldn’t be more wrong, producer Ken Warwick explained in a teleconference call with reporters on Monday.
He said that Paula Abdul’s position as a judge was not endangered by the changes and denied all reports claiming her departure. He added that she is “worth her weight in gold” and that bringing a fourth judge to the jury had nothing to do with Paula Abdul, citing the original version of the show, which began in England with a four-judge panel.
As for the incident related to Paula Goodspeed, the Paula Abdul fan who allegedly committed suicide in front of her idol’s house, fellow “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell explained during a conference call with the press on Wednesday afternoon that “it hit us like an express train” and that it had a rather strong impact on him.
He added that he did not remember who Paula Goodspeed was until he saw clips showing her ill-famed audition. Referring to Paula Abdul’s recent claim that producers did not take into account her objections to leave Paula Goodspeed out of the show, Simon Cowell said that he did not recall such a moment, but that his colleague could have brought the audition to a standstill at any time if anything had bothered her.
When asked about the eighth season of the hit talent show, the judge said that he would be delighted to witness an appearance by Britney Spears, naming her his No. 1 preference.
Simon Cowell’s future with “American Idol” is also open to discussion. He said that he would make a decision next year, noting that the show “could continue without me.”
Cowell explained that his schedule is sometimes unendurable, because he serves as host for two other programs as well. He said that his departure would not affect “American Idol’s” popularity and that the show could benefit from the same success for another decade or two.
And although fans may find it hard to imagine the show without one of its famous judges, it’s unlikely for Simon Cowell, who described his time with “Idol” as the “best 8 years of my life,” to stay forever with the Fox program.
Since its television debut, “American Idol” has discovered several well-known music stars, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson.
