14 DAY TRIAL // Television personality Ryan Seacrest has recently inked one of the most lucrative deals in television, granting him no less than $15 million for a single season of American Idol, over a period of three years. In the meanwhile, negotiations with Paula Abdul, who was to return as judge on the popular singing competition, have come to an end – and the singer is not coming back to the show, TMZ says.
Of all the judges, Abdul was the most likely to return for the next season of AI, except for Randy Jackson, whose contract doesn’t run out until next year, reports had it. Not only had the former pop star repeatedly expressed her intention of staying on for at least another three more seasons, but the fans wanted her to do so too. Still, they might still have the chance to see Paula on TV, as speculation is beginning to build up that she’s seriously considering launching her own show now that Idol will no longer have her.
According to a recent statement issued by her manager, Paula Abdul and American Idol are history. “Very sadly, it does not appear that she’s going to be back on Idol,” the statement reads, while also calling producers “rude and disrespectful” for not offering Abdul a new deal. Either that, or she’s not happy with the paycheck producers offered her, TMZ says. Therefore, she has decided to go solo and do her own show, the same source informs.
“Ok, let’s now get real. Our ‘A.I.’ spies say Abdul is raking in about 2 1/2 million bucks a year – a nice check, but compared to the $15 mil a year that Ryan Seacrest just sealed... In Hollywood, stars have to talk the walk in order to rob the bank. Paula’s manager says since ‘Idol’ hasn't offered her a new deal she’s now considering starting a competitive show. Here’s the deal... Paula tried starting her own series a few years back with Paramount... NIGHTMARE! The idea crashed and burned.” TMZ writes, concluding that this hype over getting her own show could be just “another ploy for more moolah.”
As we also reported a few days back, no matter if the report above is accurate or not, one celebrity that is almost certain not to return for the next season of American Idol is Simon Cowell. The British music mogul has repeatedly made it clear that he is done with the show and that he wants some time off it to focus on his many projects. Furthermore, reports say that he’s asking anything from $100 to $140 million for a single season of AI, so this could be another reason why he won’t return.