Paula Abdul has spoken graciously about the fact that Ellen Degeneres is replacing her on the judges’ panel on Idol. According to insiders quoted on Radar Online, though, she’s privately devastated by the fact that she’s been replaced, and had to find out the news through the press.
Paula Abdul was stunned at being permanently replaced on American Idol by Ellen DeGeneres, RadarOnline.com has learned. “Privately, Paula is very upset. She’s never going to admit it publicly but this stung,” said a source close to the Fox situation.
Even though publicly Paula has not even hinted that she might return to the show, privately she still believed a last-minute deal could be worked out, RadarOnline.com learned. But Fox execs had already moved on.
“Paula likes Ellen and she doesn’t want to say a negative word about her and she won’t,” the source told RadarOnline.com. But the news surprised Paula and upset her – and she had no advance warning and heard about it “just like everyone else,” said the source.
[From Radar Online]
That’s cold if it’s true. To be fair to Idol producers, Ellen did say on her show that the deal was just finalized before she made the announcement on air. Maybe they didn’t have the time to tell Paula, not that they necessarily intended to.
Fellow judge Randy Jackson told People Magazine that Idol “reached out” to Ellen to bring her on, and for her part Ellen is aware that she may be stepping on some toes. She told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show that she hopes “Paula is ok with it.”
Ellen is shown on 8/30/09. Credit: PRPhotos. Paula is shown on 5/29/09. Credit: Fame Pictures
Whoa, wait a minute – Ellen has nothing to do with Paula Abdul being “stunned.” That train left the station a long time ago.
Well, Paula, doing pills and drinking eventually lead to one’s demise. Go to a meeting!
Can’t wait to see Ellen on Idol. Maybe I’ll start watching it again. I stopped after the season with Carrie Underwood.
hope Ellen isn’t biting off more than she can chew. 2 shows — that’s a lot of work.
anything she does, she does well.
as for Paula, maybe she’ll be back. she has a great energy and is so talented. the show may discover that it really needs her.
Whoa hold on TwinkleToes – I read that Paula’s already been through rehab for Rx meds, and who ever said she was an alcoholic?
This show is getting whorier and whorier – since when is a comedian like Ellen qualified to judge and screen singing talent? I can just hear her stuttering with all the bad ones, and I bet she doesn’t last five minutes because she’ll feel bad for all the sucky contestants and cry.
@Bill Hicks is God: Hahahaahaa! My thoughts exactly!
@n: If Ryan Seacrest can host a KIIS Fm radio, E Entertainment shows, and Idol then I think Ellen can handle doing her show plus judging.
Hubby and I will be boycotting the show this season. We boycotted for the two years following the nod to Fantasia.
ED does not have a musical background so why should the public have to listen to her stammering uneducated rambling? I personally find her boring and quite irritating so I will either not watch the show or I will “mute” her comments because they won’t matter anyway.
I love Ellen and I think she’ll bring life to the show…which is what the show needs.
Paula may have been through rehab, but it clearly didn’t take because she hasn’t been on the air sober in years. Her words are uniformly slurred and she look high pretty consistently.
I understand that Paula has chronic pain. She might be on Rx pain killers, and I sympathize. I am on narcotics for chronic pain, also. I don’t walk around high on them…EVER. I certainly wouldn’t go to work high on pain drugs.
So.
She needs help and she was detracting from rather than adding to the show.