Sunday, November 10, 2024

Paula Abdul Will Join Simon Cowell on “X Factor”

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Well, the peanut gallery is starting to speak up.

It seems that Fox TV may have a predicament on its hands when Simon Cowell’s “X Factor” comes to their network in September 2011.

I’ve been told by an inside source that Paula Abdul will be a judge on “X Factor” with Simon, reuniting them in all their glory. The show will play in the fall, while “American Idol” has its spring outing.

It does like the tide is turning against “American Idol” with every new announcement. Will Randy Jackson –who’s remained mum so far–wind up joining his ex comrades on “X Factor”? Who knows?

But last week’s announcement that “American Idol” was moving its recording contracts to Universal Music were met with headlines in many places and silence from its old haunt, Sony/Columbia.

What we all sort of forgot is that back in January, Cowell cut a deal with Sony for the “X Factor” deals. A Sony source didn’t even stifle a chuckle when I bemoaned the loss of future Idols. “We have X Factor!” they said, with glee (small g).

Indeed, “X Factor” a year from now will seem fresh and new and have lots of hype. At the rate things are going, who knows if “American Idol” will still be on the air. And still, I don’t get how Fox handles all this in-house.

Paula, meantime, is revving up auditions for her dance competition show on CBS. I’m told that won’t interfere when “X” marks the spot.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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