Paula Abdulis cheering onKaty Perryfor making the big bucks as a judge onAmerican Idol.
During a visit toWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohenon Wednesday, the former judge was asked about her thoughts onPerry’s reported $25 million salaryon the show.
“Well good for her!” Abdul, 57, exclaimed. “Good for her, why not!”
Cohen, 50, decided to turn the praise on Abdul — telling her, “Good for you, for not being bitter about it.”
“I take it out on my chihuahuas behind-the-scenes,” Abdul joked in response, before explaining that she’s seen “a couple of episodes” of the newIdol(which has Perry judging alongside Lionel Richie andLuke Bryan).
“Both Katy and Lionel are friends, and I love them,” Abdul said. “And I’d like to know Luke.”
Araya Diaz/Getty; Anthony Harvey/Getty
Abdul was one of the three original judges who started withIdolback when it premiered in June 2002.
She, Simon Cowell, and Randy Jackson doled out advice to future superstars likeKelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia Barrino, Katharine McPhee, Chris Daughtry, and Jordin Sparks for eight seasons — after which she departed the show.
Other judges over the course of the show have includedJennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, Mariah Carey,Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban and Harry Connick, Jr.
The series wrapped up its run on Fox in 2016 after 15 seasons. The revival kicked off with Perry, Richie, and Bryan in 2018, this time airing on ABC.
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Back in September, Abdul reunited with Jackson and Cowell onThe Kelly Clarkson Show,
“It was magical. It was as if we had never left,” Abdul later told PEOPLE, of the get together. “The chemistry is undeniable, that’s what’s made it always special. You can’t manufacture that. Right when the cameras were rolling, it was about telling the funniest stories, nothing but laughs and smiles.”
On Clarkson’s show, Cowell revealed he’d love to work together again.
“If I had one wish it’d be to make another show with us again,” the 59-year-old said. “That would be my number one wish.”
“What worked about that series was is that Randy, like myself, is an A&R guy, but also a record producer. Paula actually was a brilliant spotter of talent. I was an A&R [artists and repertoire] guy, which is one of the reasons why I think we had this additional chemistry,” Cowell continued. “Our legacy, genuinely, are the artists who we discovered over the seven-year period. That’s what I’m most proud of. The show’s ratings were great, that’s one thing, but it’s who has come through the process and has made it all worthwhile. And that’s why genuinely, if I could chose who to work with all over again, I would work with these guys again.”
So what does Abdul think? It was “very endearing” to hear Cowell say that, she told PEOPLE, adding, “Randy and I are going to be meeting with Simon and hear what he has to say and what his ideas are.”
Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan.ABC/Disney
source: people.com
