There’s been a lot of talk about what
American Idol producers will do about
Paula Abdul leaving the show. They still have three judges, since
Kara DioGuardi will be returning. And there has been talk of guest judges making cameos, like
Victoria Beckham and Katy Perry.
But Fox has now come forward to announce they intend to find a full-time replacement to fill Paula’s seat on the judge’s panel. Today Fox Chairman of Entertainment Peter Rice said, “There is going to be a search.”
Rice also mentioned that they had hoped Paula would return to Idol after they offered her a new deal. However, when she Twittered that she wouldn’t be accepting the offer, the network put out an official statement.
He added, “We were hoping Paula came back. We love Paula. She’s been a really wonderful part of the show for eight years.There is going to be a change and that change we have to look at that as being a positive change. It wasn’t a decision we made, but we have to look at it in a positive way.”
As for Paula’s replacement, Rice says they’re looking for “someone who has great chemistry” with Simon, Randy, and Kara. The auditions will feature the aforementioned guest judges, while they’ll search for the full-time replacement until January, when the show goes live. That gives them a lot of time.
Who do you think could fill Paula’s shoes?
