Paula Abdul thinks American Idol is going to fail and that it serves them right

The National Enquirer has run a lot of insider stories on Paula Abdul’s dealings with American Idol, so this story might come from a reliable source. They’re reporting that Abdul is gloating over the fact that the show seems to be struggling now that Simon has left and they’ve replaced the entire judge’s panel except for Randy. Paula is said to be claiming that the show is all but over and producers have no one to blame but themselves. They reportedly failed to meet her salary requirements but ended up paying J.Lo more.

“Mark my words, you are watching the death of ‘American Idol’! It’s on it’s last legs! No one can save it!” Paula told a pal.

Paula – who exited the show in a huff over salary issues just before last season – it tickled that producers are having trouble finding entertaining judges and worthy contestants for the 10th edition of the one-time powerhouse reality series, which begins in January.

“She believes it serves them right for letting her walk away,” an insider told The Enquirer. “Paula still believes that she was the best thing ‘Idol’ had going for it, and producers let her slip through their fingers by being so tightfisted when she was renegotiating her contract…”

And the 48-year-old singer/choreographer is gloating even more since it was revealed that “Idol” producers had to shell out $12 million to get J.Lo – $2 million more than Paula had asked for.

“What goes around comes around,” Paula told her pal. “The show could have saved a lot of aggravation and money if they had just given me what I deserved.

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, October 11, 2010]

I know Paula wasn’t always “there” and was sometimes loopy and incoherent, but I liked her on Idol and I think she’s partially right. She right in that producers should have kept her on, but in no way is that show “over.” Idol may be slipping in the ratings and occasionally getting bested by Dancing with The Stars, but it’s still a television juggernaut. Even if its ratings slip it’s wildly popular and will continue to be on television for years. The show really lost out by losing Simon, though, not Paula.

Paula Abdul is shown on 0/17, 6/13 and 5/26/10. Credit: WENN.com