Straight up, now tell Us this isn’t true, Paula Abdul! The 54-year-old pop star said in a new interview that she is thrilled for the American Idol reboot, but she isn’t interested in returning to the show as a judge. See what she had to say in the video above.
The “Forever Your Girl” singer — who served as a judge on AI from 2002 until 2009 — stopped by the Today show on Monday, May 15, to share her thoughts about the beloved singing competition’s upcoming ABC revival.
“I’m excited for the reboot,” she said. “I had an incredible time on that show and blessed to be part of it from the beginning, but I think they need to do a whole reboot.”
Abdul’s admission comes just days after her former Idol co-judge Simon Cowell said he doesn’t want any part in the show. “I was asked to do it, and the answer is no,” Cowell, 57, told Extra on Thursday, May 11. “I have no interest. My memories are when we first started. It was a different time with Randy [Jackson], Ryan [Seacrest] and Paula. You can’t re-create that.”
American Idol ended in 2016 after 15 seasons on Fox. After weeks of speculation, ABC announced on Tuesday, May 9, that they are officially bringing back the beloved reality series.
“American Idol on ABC…that has a nice ring to it,” Disney co-chairman Ben Sherwood said in a statement. “Idol is an entertainment icon, and now it will air where it belongs, in ABC’s lineup of addictive fan favorites alongside Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor. America, get ready for the return of a bigger, bolder and better-than-ever Idol.”
