Though many believed the show was suffering, ratings picked up during the first live performances of this season on last week’s episode of The X Factor, and has now become the “No 1. reality show on broadcast television this fall,” with more than 13 million viewers, according to Fox. The talent-search show beat out other hit reality shows such as Survivor and Dancing with the Stars. Really? I would never have guessed…

“I am absolutely thrilled with the news,” says Executive Producer Simon Cowell, according to E!. “I have loved making the show and I want to thank Fox, our sponsors and most importantly, the fans for supporting The X Factor.”

With the second set of live performances airing on Wednesday evening, FOX will soon find out if they made the right decision or not. Let’s just hope the show can keep up its ratings!

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Did you miss the ultimate prick? Well Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul are returning with their American Idol knockoff called The X Factor. The show will air on FOX, and a $5 Million prize is awarded to the winner.

FOX has released a promo for the new show, where we find a dream sequence showing “new” Simon Cowell. However Cowell eventually wakes up and the old Simon appears on his new show.

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Cheryl Cole has been dropped from the judging panel on ‘X-Factor’ and has been replaced with ‘Pussycat Doll’ Nicole Scherzinger.

It is being reported that Cole was dropped largely because producers were concerned her English accent would be too difficult for an American audience to understand.

Producers also thought Cole and fellow judge Paula Abdul had a “lack of chemistry.” Well, Abdul doesn’t really have chemistry with anyone. She kind of marches to her own drum. But okay.

Producers now want Cole to return to the UK version of the show, but she’s allegedly so pissed over how it handled that she may be done with ‘X-Factor’ entirely.

With Cheryl out, Scherzinger will take her seat and Steve Jones will be the only host on the show. Scherzinger was originally going to be a host as well. The show debuts in September.

Well that’s a pretty crappy deal. Being fired for something you can’t control, like say, your voice. I think Scherzinger is a good replacement, but it sucks for Cole as she was hoping to appeal to a larger American audience.

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It looks like the audience of The X Factor will witness a happy reunion this fall.

AP reports that former American Idol judge, Paula Abdul has signed on as the The X Factor’s fourth judge. Abdul joins familiar face Simon Cowell as one of the show’s judges, alongside British singer Cheryl Cole, and former Def Jam president, L.A. Reid. Together the four music moguls will audition thousands of talented (and not so talented) artists when the competition premiers this fall on Fox.

Though Abdul and Cowell often bantered often on Idol, Cowell told Deadline.com, “I missed her the second she left. Always loved working with her, even though she can be a pain.”

The executive producer also told People that, “She’s very passionate and she cares. And she has good taste in music, though you didn’t always see that on TV.”

Indeed, Abdul may have become more notable for possibly being intoxicated while on Idol, than for her musical inclinations. Still, Cowell has reportedly been very calculated about choosing members of the judging panel.

Cowell called Reid his “Number one choice to sit alongside me on the show.” The famous Englishman also added that he thought fellow Brit, Cheryl Cole, “was bright, cute, knew what she was talking about.”

Though the audience may be able to predict the dynamic between Cowell and Abdul, don’t be so sure that arguments are out of the question.

“There should be tension to a point,” said Cowell. “I liked the Idol panel when we first started. We had different opinions, and I think it’s important you have different opinions.”

Well, seeing as Cowell has chosen to throw himself, British pop star Cole, American celebrity-maker Reid, and sweet but crazy Abdul to the show, I think there will be more than enough opinions to go around.

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Christina Aguilera to be the next J.Lo?

After reports of Aguilera being in talks with producers from the new NBC show, The Voice, the news has finally broken that this genie-in-a-bottle is set to join Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine (from Maroon 5, for those who have forgotten) as the third host on the Mark Burnett singing competition.

According to Perez Hilton, Aguilera issued a statement, saying:

“I am so excited to be part of such a wonderful project that celebrates music and the talent behind it. To be given the opportunity to help shape new artists’ careers and mentor them to see their dreams come to fruition is a task I welcome with open arms. I am so happy to be working with fellow Grammy Award winners Adam and Cee Lo as I feel there is so much we can all bring to The Voice.”

After all the professional setbacks this talented singer has had recently – like getting arrested with her boyfriend for public intoxication and driving under the influence, shortly after tripping onstage at the Grammy’s during her Aretha Franklin tribute – we can’t wait to see this 30-year-old get back on her feet!

“When I decided to produce ‘The Voice,’ I immediately knew that my first choice for a female coach had to be Christina Aguilera,” Burnett said in the statement. “Christina has a perfect voice and is an undeniable force in the music business. She is the epitome of ‘The Voice.’ ”

Only problem is, will this new show be able to compete with American Idol? We already saw what happened to Paula Abdul’s Live to Dance, which after one season is reportedly over – let’s just hope that this one will have a longer life than that!

The Voice premiers April 26 on NBC.  Are you going to watch? Which judge are you most excited to see?

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In an interview airing on CBS “Sunday Morning,” former “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul tells Julie Chen that she is smarter than people think.

“I am intelligent,” Abdul, 48, says with a smile. “Having a brain, that’s a concept, yes, with Paula Abdul. I have a brain.”

And regarding rumors that she’s a drunk and is often not coherent? “I’ve never had a drinking problem. Even though I’ve been in this business for quite some time, I’ve never physically been drunk in my life. I’ve never been drunk in my life. I don’t use recreational drugs. But I am goofy.”

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Yes, more news about American Idol!  Amidst swirling rumours of who will be on the judging panel for the next season of the show, Paula Abdul’s name has come up.  Unfortunately for her she can’t be a judge, reports E! Online.

A source said that Abdul is locked into the upcoming American version of the U.K’s Got to Dance and is contractually prohibited from appearing on any other competition show for quite some time.  I guess that’s what you get for signing a seven-figure contract with a huge network (not that she should be complaining).

“If Paula did Idol she would get sued big-time by Viacom,” the source says, continuing that Abdul’s contract with the CBS-produced Got to Dance is for “about five years.”

Producer Nigel Lythgoe is returning to Idol and despite him possibly wanting to bring back an original judge he says, “I love Paula,” but continues, “Paula is under contract to another company so she is unavailable.”

Bad news for anyone hoping to see the crazy outspoken Paula Abdul back on the show!

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With all the anticipation of Simon Cowell saying goodbye to “American Idol,” there is a rumor swirling that may make his goodbye night even bigger.

Former “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul may make a special appearance on Wednesday’s episode, reports People. Abdul left the show right before Season 9 and was replaced by Ellen DeGeneres. Cowell and Abdul often used to butt heads when they appeared on the series together.

Cowell will be moving over to Fox’s newest reality competition music show called “X Factor,” which begins in 2011.

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While executive producer of the hit reality show So You Think You Can Dance, Nigel Lythgoe, has been fluttering around the news that the show’s upcoming season would see big changes for some time now, it is only recently that those changes have been revealed.

Here’s the low-down according to E! Online.com:

Each week, the dance contestants will be partnered with a So You Think You Can Dance All-Star, basically meaning that favourite dancers from past seasons will be back. The All-Stars will be put into a “pool,” as Lythgoe called it, and that is how partners and dance styles will be determined. “Instead of drawing the genre of dance out of a hat, contestants will draw a photograph of one of the All-Stars, and that will dictate the genre that they will be dancing,” Lythgoe told E! Online.

Other changes: instead of a top 20 dancers out of the Las Vegas boot camp week, it will only be a top 10. And each week, it will only be one dancer going home, not two. Each top 10 contestant will get a different All-Star (and therefore different genre of dance) every week. After the performance, the All-Star will exit the stage, leaving just the contestant left to face the judging panel.

“This will be the first time ever, apart from their solos, that they will walk forward alone to be judged,” Lythgoe said.

To pick the All-Stars, Lythgoe points out that it depends on their best dance style. “They had to be dominant in their genre, because they are the ones who are going to dictate what competitors are going to dance,” he said. He used hip-hop/break dancer Stephen “Twitch” Boss, the season-four runner-up, as an example. “You wouldn’t want to do ballroom with him, particularly.”

Lythgoe wouldn’t say who the All-Stars are, but said he will be revealing them one at a time via his Twitter account (@dizzyfeet) over the next few weeks.

And while there are some big changes to the show, some things will stay the same. For example, America will still vote to decide the bottom three contestants, and the judges will still have them “dance for their lives” with solo performances. And the always crazy Mary Murphy will still be on the judging panel, and this year she’s choreographing too. Together with guest judges, Lythgoe said, there will sometimes be four people on the panel.

And now that Paula Abdul is out of a judging job on American Idol, is she heading to SYTYCD?

“I can’t think of anybody better than Paula Abdul to judge on this show,” Lythgoe said. “Whether it’s the right time for her is up to her and her management. I certainly would love her at any point, even if it means having five bloody judges on the show!”

The two-hour season premiere comes to you on May 27.

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For those reality fans that are missing Paula Abdul, you may be in luck. Entertainment Weekly reports that the singer maybe the next host of a new version of “Star Search.”

ABC is bringing back an updated version of the 80′s reality competition show and they want Abdul to be the face. ABC has been pushing Paula to come to the network for a while, offering her a gig on “Dancing with the Stars,” which she rejected.

“Star Search” is a fairly significant show which ran from 1983 to 1995 hosted by Ed McMahon. The show launched the careers of many notable people including Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

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TMZ will reports that the next season of “Dancing With The Stars” will not include Paula Abdul.

Sources tell TMZ that the American Idol judge has decided against participating despite the reported $1,000,000 ABC offered her.

Paula is still in talks with Simon Cowell about joining his newest project “X-Factor”.

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Former American Idol judge Paula Abdul needed three assistants to help her walk the red carpet at the American Music Awards, reports TMZ. The 47-year-old had trouble maneuvering in her gown, which featured an enormous train.

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As American Idol gears up for a new series this fall, its roster of judges is expanding its horizons.

Katy Perry and Avril Lavigne will be the latest stars to sit alongside Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul’s replacement Kara DioGuardi during the last round of auditions in Los Angeles.

Throughout auditions, the show has welcome Victoria Beckham, Shania Twain, Joe Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris, Mary J. Blige and Kristen Chenoweth to have their say.

Abdul abandoned the show in August in a rather abrupt move that many speculated had to do with salary. But in an interview with the New York Daily News, Abdul said the decision was more about pursuing her career (whatever’s left of it.)

“I stand on principle where many people stand on money,” Abdul told TV Guide. “I’m a hard-working artist. I’ve lasted in this business for 23 years. And you can’t do that unless you are good at what you do.”

DioGuardi originally joined the show when Abdul was still sitting, in hopes of balancing out the battle of the sexes on the judge’s bench. Now with Abdul out of the picture, DioGuardi will take on Season 9 on her own but her resume certainly boasts chops that are up to the task.

A songwriter and co-owner of writer mentorship house Arthouse Entertainment, DioGuardi has penned songs for Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion and Carrie Underwood.  According to AmericanIdol.com, she has released more than 264 songs on mainstream radios stations.

Idol has never had a hard time getting ratings, and this season will mark its ninth on the air. The guest judges are just one tactic the series has adopted to freshen up the program, as well as dozens of guest performances on the show from major music stars like last season’s Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Hudson, Quentin Tarantino, Lady GaGa and many others.

Season 9 won’t air until January 2010.

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Mary J. Blige will sit on the American Idol judges’ panel for auditions in Atlanta, Georgia, reports Perez Hilton.

Friday, regular judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi were joined by former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, who helped judge auditions in Boston.

“The judges and production team have been having a lot of fun with Victoria,” said a source for the show. “She’s had a great response so far, and has been really warm with the contestants.”

Season nine of the Fox reality show will premiere in January. Paula Abdul, who has judged alongside Cowell and Jackson since season one, will not be returning to the show.

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President of ABC Entertainment Stephen McPherson said he would absolutely love to have Paula Abdul as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, reports Perez Hilton.

“We would love to have her on Dancing whether it’s as a contestant, or a participant, judge, etc.,” McPherson said of the former American Idol judge. “I was a little stunned by the decision,” he said about her recent departure from the Fox reality show where she worked for eight seasons. “I think she’s a huge talent. There’s a sensitivity and emotion in her that balances out Idol and we’d love to get a piece of that.”

Abdul has also been offered a spot as a guest judge on Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance.

Season nine of American Idol, which will premiere in January, will return to the show’s three-judge format with Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all resuming their spots at the judges’ table. Ryan Seacrest will remain as host.

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It’s official: Paula Abdul is leaving “American Idol”. The former “Idol” judge tweeted about leaving the popular TV show.

With sadness in my heart, I’ve decided not to return to ‘Idol,’” Abdul wrote. “I’ll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day one 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. I do, without any doubt, have the BEST fans in the entire world and I love you all.”

In light of her departure, Fox TV has released a statement. “Paula Abdul has been an important part of the ‘American Idol’ family over the last eight seasons and we are saddened that she has decided not to return to the show,” read the statement. “While Paula will not be continuing with us, she’s a tremendous talent and we wish her the best.”

The show will return to its original three-judge format as Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi are set to return for season nine.

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Paula Abdul is threatening to quit her job as a judge on American Idol, reports TMZ.

“Very sadly, it does not appear that she’s going to be back on Idol,” her manager, David Sonnenberg, told the L.A. Times.

Auditions for the show’s ninth season begin August 6, but Abdul has not yet heard from the show regarding her contract.

“I find it under these circumstances particularly unusual; I think unnecessarily hurtful,” continued Sonnenberg, who has managed Abdul since the end of June. “I find it kind of unconscionable and certainly rude and disrespectful that they haven’t stepped up and said what they want to do.”

Last year, Abdul earned $2.5 million from the show. Host Ryan Seacrest recently signed a contract giving him $15 million per year for the next three years, while fellow judge Randy Jackson has signed on to the show until 2011. Simon Cowell’s contract expires next year, and he has reportedly scoffed at figured nearing $144 million.

In an attempt to step away from the Idol scene, Abdul did a reality show with Bravo in 2007 titled Hey Paula. The series only lasted seven episodes.

“She’s not a happy camper as a result of what’s going on,” said Sonnenberg. “She’s hurt. She’s angry. I think at this point we’re going to be considering everything, including some kind of a competition show. She has tremendous ideas for a whole variety of shows.”

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A man labelled a terrorist in Sacha Baron Cohen’s new movie Bruno says he would like to take the star to court after he was tricked into appearing in the movie, reports Perez Hilton. Ayman Abu Aita said Baron Cohen told him he was being interviewed for a documentary on the struggles facing the Palestinian cause and was never told the film was a joke.

“He said he is a German actor making documentaries watched by young people,” said Aita. ”He wanted to make a story to mobilize the young people to help us. I didn’t have any impression he would use my interview in a bad way.”

Although Aita was once a member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, he has since left his terrorist associations behind and now works as a board member of the Holy Land Trust.

The film also has audiences talking about a humorous stint featuring American Idol‘s Paula Abdul.

Bruno has earned $30.6 million at the box office since its July 10 opening and has a rating of 6.2 out of 10 on Rotten Tomatoes.

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Paula Abdul’s “American Idol “ contract may have expired last season, but that doesn’t mean she’ll be leaving the singing competition any time soon.

“I’ve been invited to stay the duration of the show, however long it lasts,” Abdul told the Associated Press. She continued by saying the invitation to come back on the show is subject to agreement.

As usual, it seems like one guy knew the chances of Abdul returning to “Idol” were great. Back in May, Simon Cowell told Ellen Degeneres, “Everyone’s going to be back. Absolutely.”

However, he didn’t seem too happy that adding a fourth judge would give him less time to speak. “One week, literally, we couldn’t talk, so 10 minutes before the show started, they said, ‘Oh, by the way, you can’t talk for half the show. It’s rather like saying in a singing competition to the singers, ‘Half of you can’t sing.’ It was just crazy.”

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Terri Seymour, best known for being “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell’s ex and for being an “Extra” correspondent, has filed for a restraining order against Janice Thibodeaux.

According to E! Online, the presenter and reporter claims the woman is likely to strike again after being charged for attempting to choke her and for misdemeanor battery.

Seymour says she was “viciously assaulted” by the 33-year-old woman, in the document. She also added that Thibodeaux has since “sought publicity for her wrongful act and stated to the media that they were intentional and that she does not regret them.”

Seymour is asking Thibodeaux to stay 100 yards away from her place of work, home and car. As for her reason for attacking Seymour, Thibodeaux told Radar Online that she wanted to get back at Simon Cowell for pretending to choke fellow “Idol” judge Paula Abdul during the show.

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