“Yes, it’s true; I won’t be returning to The X Factor next season,” the former American Idol judge said in a statement to the website. A source close to People disclosed: 

“She was fired, but everything is amicable. They had fun last season, but the show’s evolved.”

Though seemingly close friends with the show’s executive producer Simon Cowell, she still didn’t manage to hold her seat at the judges’ table. However, no hard feelings for Paula. “Simon and I, along with Fox and Fremantle, have been communicating about this for a while now, and I have absolute understanding of the situation.”

Who do you think should replace her? See our choices in the gallery below. 

who should replace the 'x factor' female judges?

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]]> http://www.celebuzz.com/2012-01-31/paula-abdul-confirms-getting-axed-by-x-factor/feed/ 1 http://www.celebuzz.com/2012-01-31/who-should-replace-paula-abdul-nicole-scherzinger-on-the-x-factor-photos/ http://www.celebuzz.com/2012-01-31/who-should-replace-paula-abdul-nicole-scherzinger-on-the-x-factor-photos/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:56:52 +0000 Andy Scott http://www.celebuzz.com/?p=9816131
There appear to be numerous shake-ups happening right now on Fox’s freshman reality series The X Factor. In a tweet, host Steve Jones announced that he will not be returning for the show’s sophomore season. Neither will controversial judge Nicole Scherzinger, whose exit was just confirmed by a show producer, according to the LA Times....Read more»

]]> There appear to be numerous shake-ups happening right now on Fox’s freshman reality series The X Factor.

In a tweet, host Steve Jones announced that he will not be returning for the show’s sophomore season. Neither will controversial judge Nicole Scherzinger, whose exit was just confirmed by a show producer, according to the LA Times.

If that wasn’t enough, there are also (admittedly unconfirmed) rumors that, yep, Paula Abdul is leaving the show, too. Yikes!

Of course, The X Factor is no stranger to change; Cheryl Cole was fired from the show shortly after auditions got underway, and was replaced by Scherzinger, who originally signed on as the show’s co-host.

Still, change can be a tough thing to deal with, and while we wait to find out if Paula really is leaving, too, we’ve offered our picks for who we’d like to see join the judges’ panel in season 2. Check them out in our gallery now!

Britney Spears Picks Her Boys Up From a party in la

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]]> http://www.celebuzz.com/2012-01-31/who-should-replace-paula-abdul-nicole-scherzinger-on-the-x-factor-photos/feed/ 2 http://www.celebuzz.com/2012-01-07/paula-abdul-boyfriend-jeff-bratton-split/ http://www.celebuzz.com/2012-01-07/paula-abdul-boyfriend-jeff-bratton-split/#comments Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:00:58 +0000 Gabrielle Chung http://www.celebuzz.com/?p=9625991 http://www.celebuzz.com/2012-01-07/paula-abdul-boyfriend-jeff-bratton-split/feed/ 0 http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-12-22/trend-spotting-of-2011-starlets-suit-up-on-the-red-carpet-photos/ http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-12-22/trend-spotting-of-2011-starlets-suit-up-on-the-red-carpet-photos/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:30:41 +0000 Jackie Willis http://www.celebuzz.com/?p=9540672 Menswear never looked so good in 2011, especially when it was worn by women! Everyone from Jennifer Aniston to Angelina Jolie suited up for photo ops this year, and we were loving the look! Most recently, judge Paula Abdul wore a white pen-striped suit for The X Factor conference this week, making for a sleek...Read more»]]> Menswear never looked so good in 2011, especially when it was worn by women! Everyone from Jennifer Aniston to Angelina Jolie suited up for photo ops this year, and we were loving the look!

Most recently, judge Paula Abdul wore a white pen-striped suit for The X Factor conference this week, making for a sleek seasonal style. Click through the pics and let us know if this trend should be carried over into 2012!

Another big style to hit the red carpet this year was color coordinating black and white. See what celebs donned the classic trend in the gallery below!

trend spotting: celebs in black and white

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]]> http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-12-22/trend-spotting-of-2011-starlets-suit-up-on-the-red-carpet-photos/feed/ 2 http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-12-13/paula-abdul-storms-off-jimmy-kimmels-show-video/ http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-12-13/paula-abdul-storms-off-jimmy-kimmels-show-video/#comments Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:26:57 +0000 Jackie Willis http://www.celebuzz.com/?p=9472622 Paula Abdul did not take lightly to Jimmy Kimmel‘s comments about her X Factor contestants. The judges of the hit FOX show made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Monday night, but Paula didn’t stay on stage too long before she was offended.  The host said candidly of her ousted contestants, “Paula, yours deserved to go. Both...Read more»]]> Paula Abdul did not take lightly to Jimmy Kimmel‘s comments about her X Factor contestants. The judges of the hit FOX show made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Monday night, but Paula didn’t stay on stage too long before she was offended. 

The host said candidly of her ousted contestants, “Paula, yours deserved to go. Both of yours deserved to go.” The TV star was shocked at Jimmy’s comments, saying, “What?!” before walking off the set.” As she went to get up, the other judges laughed, and Simon Cowell even gave Jimmy a high-five. 

She quickly returned to the stage smiling. “It’s nothing against you,” Jimmy said as Paula returned to the couch but sat on Simon’s lap. Then he dove into the relationship rumors between the two judges. 

“Something has had to happen between you two sexually,” he quipped. Paula joked, “He’s a selfish lover. He’d be calling his own name out. … I can only imagine.”

Simon added, “I  thought about it, but then I’d have to talk to her afterwards.” 

x factor premieres in hollywood

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Would you like to see Paula and Simon get together? Sound off in the comments! Also, who do you think should win X Factor?

Paula Abdul and the X Factor gang are taking some heat for last night’s hyper-emotional elimination in which one of the contestants fell to the floor, while Keanu Reeves is being championed as a modern day gentleman for giving up his seat on the subway in a viral video. Back in the ’90s, the two dated for a hot minute and costarred in Paula’s video, “Rush Rush.”

Ever the dapper dude, Keanu took on the ’50s inspired role with a touch of class. His recent role of mindful subway rider is getting equal applause:

Paula has been getting a bit of a backlash from rabid fans of her new show, but as ever she manages to be a source of support for the contestants and her fellow judges, telling Nicole Scherzinger (via Twitter):

“I applaud you for listening to you heart last night because I know how genuinely torn you were.”

It was between the R&B boy-band Stereo Hogzz and the all-American girl group Lakoda Rayne. Both have been having a hard time identifying with the audience, as the Stereo Hogzz were in the bottom two last week as well.

We all know Paula can get … emotional … but did she not realize what she signed up for? Perhaps she didn’t expect her groups to ever be pitted against each other, but it was bound to happen at some point.

Jessie J & Willow Smith Perform on X Factor Elimination Night

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As the seconds were ticking down on the clock, you could tell host Steve Jones, who is thought to be the first thing changed for next season, was getting flustered trying not to go overtime. Simon Cowell could clearly see that Paula was having a nervous breakdown, so he stepped in and controlled the situation.

Eventually Paula realized if she abstained, the Stereo Hogzz would immediately go home because judges Nicole Scherzinger and L.A. Reid already voted them off, so she indicated she wanted the Stereo Hogzz to stay to give them a chance and let Simon decide. Simon voted the boy group out and that was that.

Check out the drama for yourself in the video above. She starts breaking down at about 2 minutes in.

What do you think? “Poor Paula” was a worldwide trending topic on Twitter last night. Do you feel bad for her too? Let us know in the comments.

We were on hand at the show’s Hollywood premiere on Wednesday evening, and have inside scoop straight from the judges themselves!

The UK’s favorite show has made it’s way to the states! At the premiere of X Factor in Hollywood, the audience was introduced to the four judges of the show: Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul (former American Idol judges), Nicole Scherzinger (former Pussycat Doll), and LA Reid (grammy winning record executive responsible for Usher, Rihanna, and Justin Beiber!) With such a prestigious cast of judges, this show is sure to be bursting at the seams with talent! As they travel to four different US cities for auditions, they come in contact with life changing situations, and meet unforgettable contestants. 

The audience was also allowed to participate in a Q & A session after the 90 minute episode premiere! Here are some of our favorite questions, followed by answers from the judges! 

Q: How are the American audiences compared to British audiences?

nicole's gold get up!

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paula & simon reunite!

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Nicole opened up about the opportunity to work alongside former American Idol judges and often-times sparring partners Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul, telling Marie Claire Magazine: 

“I’m the luckiest person to get a front-row ticket to the Simon and Paula show. This whole thing has felt like a roller-coaster ride.”

Fans may not know, but the judging gig isn’t her first trip down the reality TV lane. Back in 2001, she won a musical competition of her own on Popstars and she even won the coveted mirror ball trophy on Dancing With The Stars. She’s using this newfound opportunity to help and mentor the contestants and “pay it forward, since I got my start on reality show.”

Besides judging X-Factor, Nicole is amping up for the release of her new solo album Killer Love. She calls the album her “dream” and everything that she’s been working for her whole life! Back in May, she released the video for her song “Right There” featuring 50 Cent. It’s nice to see that her dreams are falling into place!

nicole steps out for 'x factor' panel

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The September issue of Marie Claire hits newsstands on August 16th!

The highly-anticipated new reality show singing competition has realeased it’s first preview, and from what we can tell, it will absolutely bring the drama!

But in true Simon fashion, he manages to have a little bit of fun too.

The sneak peek starts off with a nice(er) Simon, but don’t worry, he hasn’t changed — and we love him for that!

Despite the back and forth drama of British X Factor judge Cheryl Cole joining in, we finally get to see a sneak peek of the new judges, record exec LA Reid, former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger and the legendary Paula Abdul.

Take a look for yourself above!

Will you tune into The X Factor when it hits the air in September? Sound off in the comments!

nicole at 'x factor' miami auditions!

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]]> http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-07-12/watch-simon-cowell-new-judges-in-action-in-the-x-factor-sneak-peek-video/feed/ 1 http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-07-06/paula-abdul-steps-out-with-new-man-photos/ http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-07-06/paula-abdul-steps-out-with-new-man-photos/#comments Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:47:33 +0000 Jackie Willis http://www.celebuzz.com/?p=8214171 She may be flirting with fellow The X-Factor judge Simon Cowell when the cameras are on, but Paula Abdul is snuggling up to her new man Jeff Bratton in her free time! Paula, 49, was snapped with her new beau who is the owner of the Cascine record label. According to Life&Style Magazine, the former...Read more»]]> She may be flirting with fellow The X-Factor judge Simon Cowell when the cameras are on, but Paula Abdul is snuggling up to her new man Jeff Bratton in her free time!

Paula, 49, was snapped with her new beau who is the owner of the Cascine record label. According to Life&Style Magazine, the former American Idol judge worked with Jeff and a band on his label called Shine 2009 in the spring. “I’m close with Jeff Bratton from Cascine and love what they’re doing with the label,” she’s said.

What do you think of Paula’s new man? Do they make a cute couple? Sound off in the comments section below! Be sure to follow Celebuzz on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr for more couples news, pics and videos!

The former Pussycat Doll tweeted out a pic of her and the former American Idol judge with a caption that read: 

“A dream come true! I was & always will be her biggest fan! I can’t believe I get 2 work w/ Paula. X Factor day 1!”

Nicole is no stranger to competitive reality shows. The pop star won the coveted mirror ball trophy on Dancing with the Stars a few seasons back. She said of her new gig, via Twitter: 

“After finishing my very 1st day on the new job, every one has been amazing! Thank u NJ for welcoming me. I’m truly grateful & excited to be judging X.”

The new judge is replacing Cheryl who came over from the British X-Factor. Executive producer Simon Cowell commented on Cheryl’s departure, telling The Associated Press,  “I hate seeing her hurt. She’s one of — I hope — she’s one of my closest friends, and this was a decision we made which we thought would be beneficial to her, funny enough. Not many people will believe that, but that’s the truth.”

Making quite a scene, Paula arrived on The X Factor set Sunday, narrowly avoiding a wardrobe malfunction when a gust of air caught her purple Yves San Laurent dress. Whoops!

She didn’t seem embarrassed though, quickly embracing Simon and jumping into his arms. The pair played up their affection for the crowd outside The X Factor lot, eventually kissing on the lips. Looks like their love-hate relationship is better than ever.

On Sunday, FOX officially confirmed that Paula would be joining The X Factor panel, alongside Simon, Cheryl Cole and Antonio “LA” Reid.

Simon revealed to UK’s Daily Mail that he couldn’t do this show without her.

“We almost weren’t going to do the show,” Cowell said. “This show would never have been the same without Paula and I can’t believe I am saying this – I have missed her a lot, and I am thrilled she’s on the show.”

Both Deadline.com and The Hollywood Reporter are confirming the news that Idol has signed on to be a judge on Cowell’s new show that’s set to hit Fox in the Fall of 2011. Hollywood Reporter says that the deal came after some intense back-and-forth negotiations and that: “As late as Saturday afternoon, it was unclear whether negotiations between the ex-American Idol judge and X Factor producers would result in a signed contract before Abdul was scheduled to report for duty on Sunday.” They go on to state that some language in the contract involving Abdul’s CBS dance show Live to Dance was holding the deal up, but eventually “the CBS issue was resolved, according to sources, but the notoriously erratic Abdul remained without a signed deal even as the clock ticked down toward the judges rounds.”

Abdul will join Cheryl Cole and music mogul L.A. Reid along with Cowell as the judging panel.

Graham – who plays the teen witch Bonnie Bennett on the hot CW show – proves she has some pop star chops in her electric cover of Paula’s classic. Though she changes the verses, Kat keeps the much-loved, man-hating chorus firmly in place. 

Kat says via Twitter that her Cold Hearted Snake is a “re-imagining” of the original released in 1989, the year Kat was born! What do you think of Kat’s cover? Let us know in the comments — and listen to both versions below.

Here’s Kat’s Cold Hearted Snake:

And here’s the 1989 original from Paula Abdul:

The “Straight Up” singer, who’s been at loose ends since she perhaps hastily abandoned her American Idol judging post last year, has found gainful employment a the lead judge, executive producer, creative partner, mentor and coach on the upcoming dance-competition series Got to Dance.

The show, based on a U.K. hit with the same premise, will likely debut midseason this fall on CBS. Billed as broadcast TV’s first all-ages, all-genres dance series, the show will feature everything “from ballroom to break dance, bhangra to ballet, and tap to tango.”

Abdul will reportedly have a wide variety of behind-the-scenes and on-camera roles to fill on the show.  If her tenure at American Idol is anything to go by, we can only assume that “resident loose cannon” will be one of them. Can’t wait.

According to an inside source, American Idol’s producers, fearful that viewers are losing interest in the show without Paula Abdul‘s loose-cannon shenanigans, are trying to woo Abdul back onto the show, after her abrupt departure last August:

“They want Paula back. They’re not sure if she’d be the fifth judge, but they are talking to her. People tuned in to see Paula’s wacky antics and her chemistry with Simon. The show is just not as much fun to watch without her.”

A bit of advice: Backing a dump truck or two full of cash into her driveway might do the trick. Though, since Abdul has yet to find a new home for her talents, despite rumored impending deals with Dancing With the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, a revamped Star Search and Simon Cowell‘s upcoming America’s Got Talent, she just might do it for a couple of peanut-butter sandwiches and a fistful of Quaaludes.

Would you like to see Paula return to American Idol, or do you think they’re doing just fine without her? Let us know in the comments section!

If all goes according to plan, Abdul will be collaborating with High School Musical director Kenny Ortega, with the people behind The Biggest Loser producing. Paula’s last bid for gainful employment, on a proposed revamp of venerable talent show Star Search, fell through last week.

Paula Abdul, creating chaos and confusion in the public square? Sounds like a natural; doesn’t that pretty much happen on any day that ends with “Y” already?

Straight up now, tell us in the comments section: Are you loving the idea of Paula Abdul leading packs of crazed dancers through the streets to mess with everyone’s heads?

The “Straight Up” singer, who’s been at loose ends since she abruptly abandoned her American Idol judging seat last year, is reportedly finalizing a deal to star in a revamped version of ’80s televised singing competition Star Search for ABC. The gig will most likely find Abdul serving in a hybrid judge/host capacity.

If all goes according to plan, the revamped Star Search would launch this summer. It’s not yet known how the deal would affect tentative plans for Abdul to sign on for Simon Cowell‘s American version of The X Factor, which is slated to premiere on Fox next year, but something tells us Paula has enough nuttiness to go around.

The original Star Search, which ran from 1983 to 1995, featured Ed McMahon in the hosting role. No word on whether Abdul will, also like her predecessor, go around delivering giant novelty checks to strangers’ homes for Publishers Clearing House, but we certainly hope so, because that would be amazing.