Fox May Replace Paula With...Paula

Paula Abdul’s replacement on American Idol is looking more and more like…Paula Abdul. Fox will show focus groups taped footage of guest judges like Victoria Beckman, Mary J. Blige, and Shania Twain to determine exactly how damaging her absence is, Radar reports. “If Paula consistently scores far higher than any other person in her chair, they will feel compelled to make her an offer she can’t refuse and make this deal happen,” a source says.

“There will be four judges at American Idol come January,” says another source.  “And that fourth judge will be Paula Abdul.” Until then, more guest judges will continue to stand in for her. The latest? Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers, and the first Idol herself, Kelly Clarkson, the Los Angeles Times reports. (More Paula Abdul stories.)