Here we go again… American Idol 8 will return with its season premiere on January 13 and 14, 2009. That’s right – a two night, four hour premiere (8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox) will kick off American Idol’s eighth season.

We announced the other day that songwriter Kara DioGuardi has joined the judges panel at American Idol, but here’s the first picture of the new judge with “old-timers” Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.

Simon Cowell said of new judge Kara DioGuardi joining American Idol, “It’s like, you know, having dinner with three people for seven years, and getting quite bored of each other. So it’s having a fourth person, new opinion, I think it’s gonna be interesting.” …

American Idol is about to get a shake up for its eighth season – Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi will join American Idol as a fourth judge! What? Someone’s joining Paula, Randy and Simon at the American Idol judges’ table?

Kara DioGuardi will bring her songwriting talent to American Idol, as well as balance the boy/girl ratio on the panel. Read the rest of this entry »

Has Paula Abdul got serious stage fright or what? After Paula Abdul canceled an April performance of “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow” on the Today show, she rescheduled for August 29. Looks like that’s not going to happen either.

Paula Abdul has canceled her August 29 Today show performance due to an American Idol “commitment.” Read the rest of this entry »

AOL.com has tallied the results of their Reality TV Awards (1,340,208!) to determine the best and worst of the reality genre. Here are some of the results: Read the rest of this entry »

Looks like American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe isn’t big on Paula Abdul joining the cast of Dancing with the Stars as a contestant. Lythgoe isn’t giving Paula Abdul up for anything, according to his interview with In Touch Weekly.

Nigel Lythgoe told In Touch, “As far as I’m concerned, Paula [Abdul] is American Idol and our judge. It’s like asking [fellow judge Simon Cowell] to sing. Why would I want that? It chips away at you.” Read the rest of this entry »

Okay, I think I’ll be done ragging on Paula Abdul soon — but first, David Letterman’s April 30 Top Ten list: Top 10 Signs Paula Abdul Needs a Vacation.

Did you wonder if anyone would mention Paula Abdul’s mess up on the April 29 American Idol? Ryan Seacrest gives a short speech about dismissing the rumors about Paula Abdul on the previous night’s Idol (meaning, I guess Paula Abdul wasn’t drunk or on drugs, as some thought) in this video clip.

Paula – you’re off the hook. This time.