14 DAY TRIAL // The next season of the popular singing competition American Idol is about to go into rehearsals, but doubts still linger as to whether Paula Abdul, a fixture on the panel of judges ever since day one, will return or not. According to a recent message from Abdul herself on her Twitter page, her Idol days are long gone, so those fans still hoping for a favorable twist of events might as well find something else to look forward to.
Abdul’s publicist has long announced that she would not return on the next season of AI because network bosses failed to make her a more reasonable offer. That and speculation that Paula was only “playing hard to get” to get a pay raise just like AI host Ryan Seacrest can also stop now that the former cheerleader is officially out of the show. It’s been a long and fun ride, Paula Abdul says, but, as all things, this too had to come to an end.
“With sadness in my heart, I’ve decided not to return to IDOL. I’ll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day1 become an international phenomenon. What I want to say most, is how much I appreciate the undying support and enormous love that you have showered upon me. It truly has been breathtaking, especially over the past month.” the television personality writes on her official page.
As we also reported weeks ago, talk of Abdul leaving Idol began to gain momentum when it was revealed that host Seacrest had gotten a significant raise for the next three years of the show. British music mogul Simon Cowell was said to be up next, with the producers of AI seriously considering giving him a salary to the tune of $100 million for just one season of the show – as of now, nothing of this rumor has yet been confirmed. Understandably, Abdul too wanted more money with a new contract, so she started talking about leaving the show altogether to get producers to cough up more money, reports had it.
Abdul’s camp, on the other hand, insisted it was the network’s doing if Abdul left and not the other way around. “Very sadly, it does not appear that she’s going to be back on Idol. I find it under these circumstances particularly unusual; I think unnecessarily hurtful. I find it kind of unconscionable and certainly rude and disrespectful that they haven’t stepped up and said what they want to do.” David Sonenberg, Abdul’s manager, was telling the media a while back.
Since AI rehearsals are about to begin, word in the industry has it that Abdul’s latest Tweet is official, which means her position on American Idol is now vacant.