Forever Your Girl?

Is Paul Abdul leaving American Idol?

AP News | Culpeper Star-Exponent

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- If Paula Abdul's abrupt Twitter announcement that she's quitting "American Idol" is a contract negotiating ploy, it's a spectacular one.

If not, she's potentially blown a hole in TV's top-rated show - and rejected an eight-figure deal that represented a 30 percent raise, according to a person familiar with the talks. The person, lacking authority to speak publicly, asked not to be identified.

Abdul dropped her online bombshell Tuesday evening, right before season-nine auditions begin Friday in Denver. That has the whiff of a pressure tactic on Abdul's part, although boycotting the early auditions that skip from city to city might have been a less dramatic way to negotiate.

Her tweets, however, seemed to have an air of finality.

"With sadness in my heart, I've decided not to return" to Fox's singing contest, Abdul said on her Twitter account. "I'll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day 1 become an international phenomenon."

We already know that Kara DioGuardi has signed on for her second season. Will she be enough? Can American Idol survive without their candy striper? I've always though Paula's comments were based in another reality, but does the show need someone like her?

I do believe the dynamic of the show will change without her. She was always there for the comfort of the contestants; the show's Special Olympics hugger. Perhaps Paula can be replaced by a Muppet? At least the voice would sound the same.