From today’s Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena CA, via LA Times:
ABC President of Entertainment Steve McPherson said he’d love to have the former American Idol judge join his network’s hit dancing show, Dancing With The Stars, either as a participant or a judge.
As a former professional dancer, would she be eligible to participate as a contestant? She’s not a ballroom dancer and past her prime, so she couldn’t be a pro. If she were hired as a judge, she’d be added to the already existing panel–I doubt that Carrie Ann, Len or Bruno are going anywhere.
If anything, adding judge Paula would be great publicity for DWTS. Especially in the winter season, when DWTS and Idol go head to head on Wednesday nights…
McPherson, who is a good friend of Fox President of Entertainment Kevin Reilly, said he was “stunned” by Fox’s decision not to seal a new deal with Abdul, who demanded a bigger raise than Fox was willing to give her. McPherson said he has wasted no time reaching out to her to say he’d love to have her join his network.
“I think she’s a huge talent, ” he said. “I think that there’s a lot made about her in terms of who she is. And I think there’s a sensitivity and a kind of emotion to her that balances out ‘Idol.’ And we’d love to get a piece of that. It would be great.”
So, does that mean ABC is willing to cough up the bucks Fox and the Idol peeps were not?
At the session, McPherson said he and Abdul are “friends from way back.” But The Times knows better. The Times knows they once dated.
Lulzy!
