Deep Sea Fishing Orange Beach: 'X FACTOR'S DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA: Paula Abdul Asked To Show Up As Judge Without Done Deal; Nicole Scherzinger Didn't Want Corbin Bleu As Co-Host; Now Steve Jones Done Deal As Replacement (Deadline Hollywood)

Saturday, May 7, 2011

'X FACTOR'S DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA: Paula Abdul Asked To Show Up As Judge Without Done Deal; Nicole Scherzinger Didn't Want Corbin Bleu As Co-Host; Now Steve Jones Done Deal As Replacement (Deadline Hollywood)

**EXCLUSIVE:** Simon Cowell sure knows how to turn up the behind-the-scenes
drama on�TV shows whether he's appearing on them or producing them. I've just
learned that Paula Abdul has been asked to show up for the judges panel for
his U.S. version of�_The X Factor�_in Los Angeles on Sunday. But here's the
thing: her deal still isn't done yet but is in "final negotiations", I'm told.
Reps are working all day and probably all night to get it done before
tomorrow's 1 PM and 6 PM tapings of�auditions with wannabe contestants�when
the full judge's panel assembles for the first time at USC's Galen Center. But
Simon Cowell is counting on his former _American Idol_ sidekick to show up
anyway because, _hey_, they're friends.�"But will she _really_ show up? No way
her reps will let her go if that deal isn't done," an insider just told me.
The�sticking point at first was that CBS�still had a�hold on Abdul stemming
from her deal to headline another TV talent�series as lead judge,�_Live to
Dance,_ which debuted in January 2011 only to be canceled�after one season.
CBS wasn't letting Paula go to Fox at first. That now seems ...

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