Abdul's 'Idol' exit shakes up TV's top-rated show

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-08-06 08:57

Seacrest said he and the three remaining judges are flying to Denver Thursday night for auditions.

That day, Abdul will tape another guest appearance on the Lifetime sitcom "Drop Dead Diva."

"I love Paula and I love what Paula brings to `American Idol,'" said "Drop Dead Diva" producer Josh Berman. "I like that she is the nice one. I like that she finds beauty in everyone. ... It's a loss. For me, Paula was the heart of the show."

Berman, who did not know the details of her "Idol" departure, said the cast and crew of "Drop Dead Diva" — starring Brooke Elliott as a plus-size lawyer — "instantly fell in love" with Abdul when she filmed her first cameo in early July.

Her episodes air Sept. 13 and Oct. 11.

Besides TV cameos, where else could Abdul turn to expand her prospects? The 47-year-old former pop singer-dancer and L.A. Laker cheerleader has a jewelry line that she promotes on the Home Shopping Network. She was recently was the subject of a Bravo reality show that lasted one season.

Abdul's former publicist, Howard Bragman, has no doubt she'll land on her feet — somewhere.

"Don't write Paula out," he said. "When the earth is destroyed, I am convinced that cockroaches and Paula Abdul will survive. ... When Paula Abdul was a Laker Girl, she was the most famous Laker Girl ever. When she was a choreographer, she was the most famous choreographer ever. She became the No. 1 pop star and then she's on the No. 1 TV show — and it's remarkable, but she seems to have a quality and ability to rise from the ashes."

Bragman called Abdul a survivor who considers herself a star and "lives in sort of Paula-land" where she sees the world through "the Paula lens."

In an interview session Wednesday with the Television Critics Association, NBC programming executive Paul Telegdy expressed interest in working with Abdul.

"We've got no specific plans for her," he told reporters. "But I read the breaking news last night and I wouldn't rule anything out."

Still, it's a wonder how she could walk away from the ratings juggernaut known as "American Idol."

"You know, for years Paula has said she was the worst-paid one and if I was on her business team ... my advice would be stay at the show even if they pay you a dollar because the visibility is so important," Bragman said. "There's nowhere else you're gonna get 30 million people a week."

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