Home Celebrity Paula Abdul Will Join Simon Cowell on “X Factor”

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.

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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.
15 replies to this post
  1. Great!!!! AI has not ben the same since Paula then Simon left. It will be great to have them together again!!!! Will definitely not miss viewing the x factor.

  2. Really? No stars with staying power? Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Daughtry, Adam Lambert…..I can’t wait for XFactor and will watch AI too, but with the same low level of enthusiasm that I watched this year….

  3. OMG OMG OMG!! that will be so amazing, simon and paula together again! they have such an amazing chemistry and are so funny and cute together, I love them!!

  4. Roger, I’m with you….too much reality under one roof. And actually these reality shows are starting to cannabilize each other. They never result in any big “stars” that have long-term careers….the so-called reality stars have their moment of fame and then they flame out. I guess that’s the way show business is going these days.

  5. PLEASE let this be true!!! Simon and Paula reunited would be an oasis!!! And if Randy could join them, X Factor would really be like a return to the golden days of Idol!!!

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