Simon Cowell breaks his silence about a Paula Abdul-less “American Idol” next season in an exclusive interview with the television show “Extra.”
In the interview, set to air Friday night, Cowell said he doesn’t want to “get in the middle” between Abdul and of the “American Idol” executives but told “Extra’s” Terri Seymour, his former girlfriend, that the chemistry between the judges is different now. “It’s like comparing a carrot to a banana,” he told the show. “They are different.” Judges Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, as well as host Ryan Seacrest, all secured deals to return to “Idol.” In early August, Abdul announced on her official Twitter page that she would not be returning to the very popular Fox television show after appearing for eight seasons. Speculation quickly abounded as to possible replacements for the choreographer-dancer-singer, who many regarded as “the nice one” out of the judges. She was known for her positive comments to the singers participating in the show, as well as her on-camera dust-ups with Cowell and other judges. Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham was quickly recruited to serve as a guest judge during the season nine auditions. Meanwhile, Abdul has gone on to guest star on the new Lifetime series “Drop Dead Diva” and will host VH1’s “Divas Live” on September 17.
