Paula Abdul Not on Dancing with the Stars; Talking with Cowell on X-Factor

It is a matter of time before the new season of Dancing with the Stars begins, and according to TMZ, ABC had been in talks with former American Idol judge Paula Abdul about joining the show. According to TMZ, they offered Paula a $1,000,000 development deal if she decided to join the cast. Well, it has been confirmed that Paula will not join Dancing with the Stars. That is a big let down for many Paula fans, including myself.

Paula Abdul had been in talks with ABC since sometime in January. According to TMZ, "ABC has been going after Paula for a few years now." ABC even agreed to let her do work with Simon Cowell on his X-Factor show. Oh well, I guess we won't be able to see Paula shake what she's got on DWTS. Paula Abdul has not yet confirmed if she will or will not join Simon as a judge on X-Factor.

So what is X-Factor all about? Well, according to MTV, it is a singing competition that is similar too American Idol in some ways but different in others. It is now show in 17 countries across the world and Simon Cowell is looking forward to adding the United States to that growing list.

So what aspects of X-Factor are similar to American Idol? First off, the British show brings on contestants that sing in an audition round that is in front of a live audience and the judges (one of which is Cowell). The contestants must go through numerous sets of auditions to be able to have a chance to perform in front of the judges. Only the judges' audition will be show on television. Singers who are able to pass these auditions are then sent to a "boot camp" round. During the boot camp round, there will be another period of elimination. After the boot camp round is over, the remaining singers will be assigned a judge who will be a mentor to them. Then, 12 singers will be sent to the final round and audiences will vote for their favorites after watching the live televised performances.

So how is the X-Factor different that American Idol? For one thing, groups and solo artists are able to compete. The groups include boys, girls, and people over 25.

The shows most famous and well known winner was Leona Lewis who won during season 3. She has been dubbed as the British version of Mariah Carey. The show is set to air in the U.S. sometime in the Fall of 2011. In addition to being a judge, Simon Cowell is also the executive producer of the show.

So will Paula Abdul work with Cowell on the show? No word yet. I am sure that everyone can agree that she would be a great addition to the show and she would be a great mentor to the contestants.

Sources:

Eric Ditzian, "Simon Cowell's 'X-Factor' Vs. 'American Ido'l: What's the Difference? MTV.com.

TMZ Staff, "Paula Abdul Will Not Be Dancing With Any Stars." TMZ.com