'American Idol' Producer: Paula's Job Is Not In Danger

Last week Paula Abdul publicly chided American Idol producers for putting her in danger by allowing a mentally unstable fan -- who later committed suicide outside Abdul's home -- to audition despite her pleas not to, and also accused fellow judge Simon Cowell of defaming her character, saying she remains on the show only because she's still under contract... and ever since, the rumors that she'll soon quit or be fired from the series have been flying.

But Idol executive producer Ken Warwick -- on a conference call with reporters this afternoon -- insisted that Paula's job has never been in danger and made it sound as if the powers that be will do whatever is required to keep her on board: "There's never been any discussion that we would want to get rid of Paula. Even if there were people in production that didn't like her. And Simon's one of them. He bobbles in and out. He dislikes her one minute, he loves her the next. But the truth is, we've never had a discussion of, is her job in jeopardy? No, it's not! America loves Paula. She's an integral part of this program. And as far as I'm concerned, I hope she's there until the day it comes off the air. End of story."

Warwick -- who also repeatedly denied that he was made aware of Paula's discomfort with the unstable "stalker" contestant prior to her audition, saying Abdul may have told a security guard, but certainly not him or anyone with the authority to keep her from singing in front of the judges -- did acknowledge that Paula's contract is almost up and she is renegotiating: "Now, there's always risk with these deals. Contracts come up and people renegotiate. And attorneys for nextworks [might] say, oh if you don't agree to this, then you're not going to be on [the show]. But the truth of the matter is, never have I ever been faced with anyone saying to me, Paula's got to go, Paula's asking for too much money, the negotiations are not going well, she's going to leave the program. That has never never happened. She is one of the foundation plots of this series and I certainly would not want to lose her. And I don't think America would want to lose her either. She keeps Simon well in control. She's worth her weight in gold in that area alone!"

As for the rumors that Kara DioGuardi, who joins American Idol as a fourth judge this season, was brought on to replace Paula, Warwick denied that as well. Explaining that Idol, in its first incarnation in the U.K., actually began with four judges, he said the reason they ended up with only three on A.I. is simply because it was difficult to find the right people for the job. And since DioGuardi has always been heavily involved in producing the albums of Idol winners past, she is uniquely qualified to slide into a fourth judging spot. Warwick also revealed that because DioGuardi is blessed with a great voice, she can shut down irate contestants who might say to the judges, well if you're so good, then you sing it. During a couple of the audition shows this season, she will do just that.

And as far as the dynamic between Abdul and DioGuardi goes, it sounds as if the two will actually be allies, often teaming up against Simon to defend contestants who they feel deserve a second chance. And how will Simon react to that? "Miserable," said Warwick. "He didn't like it, he'd sometimes have a go."

What else do you need to know about the upcoming season? Due to slightly declining ratings in 2008, there will be a few tweaks: We'll be getting to know the kids' personalities better than we have in recent years, seeing more of an emotional side to them. Wild card week will return, so that talented contestants will be less likely to fall through the cracks, and we won't have to live with the same top contenders for as long. Also, Idol Gives Back won't be going down this year as it puts a tremendous strain on the entire production. Warwick said they're toying with the idea of doing it every other year instead.

And yeah, that's about it. Any thoughts? Will you stick with Idol this season? Are you excited for a fourth judge? Let's discuss...

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