Paula Abdul fired from ‘The X Factor’ because she was too ‘soft’
W hile the firing of “The X Factor” host Steve Jones and judge Nicole Scherzinger was long expected, Hollywood was stunned by the news that Paula Abdul also was axed in a major shakeup of the music competition show — being called a “bloodbath” by show insiders.
Speaking of being stunned? That included
Abdul, who is said to be furious about her ouster — despite issuing a statement Tuesday saying she understood “how business decisions oftentimes override personal considerations.”
Those “business decisions” included a careful analysis of the first season of “The X Factor” by show producers and the Fox network —
whose research indicated Abdul was thought too “soft” to compete with the other judges and the audience “just did not connect with Nicole,” said a major Fox source.
Though both show creator
Simon Cowell (who will remain as a judge with L.A. Reid) and Abdul went out of their way to indicate they remain close, sources on “The X Factor” contradict that.
The parting was “anything but amicable and there were a lot of angry words,” said a key show staff member. “I know Simon and Paula say they’re still friends, and Simon’s claiming he and Paula will again work together, but there will have to be some time for that [rift] to heal after what went down the past few days.”
Another “X” staffer said that
“while Steve knew he wasn’t coming back [and] realized that sadly he just didn’t connect with the U.S. audience —[SIZE="3"] everyone was stunned that Nicole thought she’d be back for the second season. [/SIZE
]“On top of being an impossible diva to work with, so many fans really hated her — especially after her vote led to [popular young contestant] Rachel Crow being eliminated.”
† Realizing how Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler have added superstar power to his old “American Idol” show, Cowell reportedly is courting major music stars such as Beyonce and Mariah Carey as potential judges for the sophomore season of “The X Factor.”
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I heard she might be headed to the UK one tho. X factor ppl are especulating a lot....