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July 29, 2005 'idol' sticking with abdul BEVERLY HILLS - Despite allegations of "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul's sexual misconduct with 2003 finalist Corey Clark, Abdul will be participating as production begins soon on a new round of shows, Fox Entertainment President Peter Liguori said yesterday. Fox has retained an independent counsel to investigate the allegations, but doesn't expect conclusions to be reached before the first "Idol" auditions are held Aug. 18 in San Francisco. "We want the investigation to be thorough rather than expeditious," Liguori said. "The investigation is kind of winding down, but what I don't want to do is impose any of our production timetable on it. "I'd rather be able to come to a conclusion with the independent counsel and our production partners, and come out with a definitive answer and conclusion for you." Liguori would neither identify the independent counsel nor confirm that an "Idol" judge having sex with a contestant would be a firing offense. He did say that, if necessary, guest judges could be added to the show to complete the season - but for Liguori, the central question is whether a judge, or anyone else involved with the program, is improperly affecting the outcome of "American Idol." "Any allegations against this show, we take quite seriously," Liguori said. "The credibility of the competition is extraordinarily important to us." Abdul has denied the allegations. On other Fox issues, Liguori said: The still-feuding Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie will co-exist on a third season of "The Simple Life." "We'll figure it out," he said. "Both have been picked up, and both will be ready to work." His programming strategy for fall: "We will launch virtually all of our shows before any of our competitors launch theirs. ... Our goal is to stay No. 1 [among 18- to 49-year-olds]. The only way to stay No. 1 is to be aggressive." His reaction to the fact that the two fall shows receiving the best buzz, NBC's "My Name is Earl" and UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris," were developed but rejected by Fox: "I don't really want to second-guess my predecessors in this seat. ... We're not second-guessing ourselves into paralysis." As for the increasingly graphic and gory depiction of crimes in TV cop shows: "We're gearing those crimes to almost be popcornish. ... The intent there is actually to create creative, fun crimes." » Posted by Igor at 12:00 AM | Discuss counsel probing paula abdul's alleged affair with american idol loser Bosses of American Idol have hired an independent counsel to probe claims that judge Paula Abdul had an affair with a contestant on the hit talent show. Fox Entertainment president Peter Liguori, who says that the competition's credibility is "extraordinarily important" to the company, refuses to say if Fox and producers Fremantle Media and 19 Television will fire Abdul if the claims by Corey Clark, an ousted contestant, are found to be true. He says, "Any allegations against this show we take quite seriously." The probe's results will soon be made public, declares Liguori, who adds that Abdul, Clark and "corroborating witnesses" have been questioned. Clark claims Abdul advised him on his singing and appearance during their alleged relationship. In the past, Abdul has denied the allegations. Although auditions for the fifth season are looming in August (05), Liguori insists the investigation will not be rushed, despite uncertainty over Abdul's continued role in the show. He notes, "I'd rather be able to come to a conclusion with the independent counsel and our production partners and come out with a definitive answer and conclusion for (the public), rather than race to have a conclusion before production starts." Clark was dumped from American Idol in 2003 because he failed to reveal a prior arrest. » Posted by Igor at 12:00 AM | Discuss July 28, 2005 paula gets an "idol" timeline Headlines • First Look • The Dotted Line • E! News Paula Gets an "Idol" Timeline by Sarah Hall Jul 28, 2005, 2:30 PM PT The countdown is on to determine whether Paula Abdul will keep her job as an American Idol judge. Fox and the producers of the talent search have launched an investigation into former Idol contestant Corey Clark's claims that he carried on an affair with Abdul before he was booted off the second season of the show. a d v e r t i s e m e n t But if the independent counsel hired to conduct the probe does not complete the task by Aug. 18 when auditions for the fifth season commence, Abdul will be permitted to take her seat between her fellow judges Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell, Fox Entertainment President Peter Liguori said Thursday at the Television Critics Association press tour. Liguori said that both Clark and Abdul have already been interviewed regarding Clark's allegations. He said that Abdul had denied some of Clark's claims, but declined to go into details. "Some allegations were denied," Liguori said. "I don't want to get into the guts of it." He said that until the independent counsel reaches a final decision, he sees no reason that Abdul shouldn't continue clocking in on the Idol set as usual. "The audience loves Paula. She continues to get online support," Liguori said. "Her supporters light up our switchboard. We have nothing right now that says she shouldn't report for work." However, Liguori stressed that the network was taking the investigation into its highest rated show very seriously. "The credibility of that competition is important to us and we will do everything to maintain the integrity of the show," he said. Clark, who faded into obscurity following his Idol elimination, resurfaced in April 2005 to expose his allegations against Abdul. He was the subject of an ABC Primetime Live report titled Fallen Idol, in which he claimed that Abdul had coached him on song choices and given him money to buy expensive clothes. Ultimately, he said, the two became lovers. Abdul has denounced Clark as a "liar" and refused to dignify his "false statements" with a response. Shortly after his Primetime exposй, Clark released a self-titled album and a tell-all book titled They Told Me to Tell the Truth, So...(The Sex, Lies, and Paulatics of One of America's Idols). At the time, Fox and the producers of Idol claimed to have "concerns about the motives" of the ABC special. On Thursday, Liguori said he had watched the report and considered the reporting "thin." "It was suspicious it was done during sweeps when the Idol finals were coming up," he said. Should the evidence revealed by the probe work against Abdul, the former Laker Girl already has another gig in the works. Abdul has been tapped as a roving correspondent on Fox's new reality series, So You Think You Can Dance, the network's apparent answer to ABC's Dancing with the Stars. The "Forever Your Girl" singer's duties consist of traveling the country to "teach large groups of real people how to find their groove thing and really shake it." Though Abdul's air date has not yet been announced, Dance has already proven to have moves. Last week's premiere of the groove contest drew 10.3 million viewers, landing it a third-place finish in the ratings. » Posted by Igor at 12:00 AM | Discuss will abdul be forever fox network's girl? LOS ANGELES — Paris and Nicole will be back on Fox, but Paula was on the minds of TV critics Thursday as they peppered the network's new entertainment chief Peter Liguori about American Idol's judge. The cloud of controversy over allegations from ousted contestant Corey Clark that he had a relationship with and was coached by Abdul raised many questions from critics but few answers from Liguori. "Any allegations against this show we take quite seriously," he said. But his main concern is whether "a judge or producers (are) affecting the outcome of the show." He said the investigation by an outside lawyer is "winding down" after Clark agreed to cooperate. But Liguori called ABC News' report on Clark's charges "thin" and defended her on-air performance, which some critics called overly solicitous. Abdul's future on the show should be determined by the time Idol begins auditioning contestants for its fifth edition Aug. 18 in San Francisco, followed by stops in Austin (Aug. 25); Boston (Aug. 31); Memphis (Sept. 5); Denver (Sept. 11); and Chicago (Sept. 16). Singers must be ages 16 to 28. Meanwhile, Liguori confirmed that Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie will be reteamed for a fourth season of The Simple Life, scotching Hilton's plan to replace Richie with her new best friend Kimberly Stewart. "We're not definitive with what direction it will take, but there's got to be something with the fact that Paris and Nicole are engaged and about to be married," Liguori said. It's possible that the duo will be filmed separately. With 24, The O.C. and new hit House, Fox is less dependent on reality, but the network touted Xquest, due next summer, in which contestants will compete in space-travel simulators, and Skating with Celebrities, due by January, which is close to signing Nancy Kerrigan and Katarina Witt as judges, says reality chief Mike Darnell. But the main focus for Liguori, who previously ran sibling cable network FX, is keeping Fox's grip on its target audience of adults ages 18 to 49. Boosted by Idol - which had its highest numbers yet — and NBC's woes, ratings were up 2%, last season, marking Fox's first win among young adults. Now it hopes to expand with more "distinctive" and "dangerous" programming, he said. "It's the scariest position to be in; everyone in the office feels there's a target on our back." Fox has high hopes for Prison Break, a serialized thriller about a man attempting to bust his wrongly accused brother out of jail, which gets an early start Aug. 29, and Bones, a crime drama about a forensic anthropologist that stars David Boreanaz (Angel) as an FBI agent. » Posted by Igor at 12:00 AM | Discuss July 19, 2005 paula abdul returns to dancing roots Paula Abdul is set to show off her fancy footwork once again for a new US dancing reality TV show. The Straight Up singer, who has served as a judge on hit TV contest American Idol since 2002, will return to her dancing roots on the new show So You Think You Can Dance. Abdul, who has choreographed for stars including Janet Jackson, INXS and Prince, will travel across the US to teach large groups of people how to dance. The show will make its debut tomorrow (20Jul05), while Abdul's efforts will be screened in video clips later on in the series. » Posted by Igor at 12:00 AM | Discuss July 15, 2005 paula abdul saves anna-nicole smith Paula Abdul came to Anna Nicole-Smith's rescue on the eve of Live 8 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania when the busty actress realized her hair and make-up experts wouldn't be able to make the trip. A distressed Anna-Nicole called the American Idol star for help after fearing she'd have to show up at the awareness concert not looking her best - and Adbul insisted she use her people. Smith says, "She saved my butt and I won't forget it." » Posted by Igor at 12:00 AM | Discuss July 14, 2005 how safe is your manicure? Why Paula Abdul Is Pushing for Better Standards in Salons and What You Can Do to Get a "Clean" Manicure BEVERLY HILLS, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 07/11/2005 -- Paula Abdul recently testified in front of the California Senate Business and Professions Committee to lobby for stricter sanitation standards in nail salons. One can clearly appreciate that there is an alarming health risk spreading across the country. While "nail salon victims" are lucky to have a strong and respectful voice promoting Dr. Siegal's mission to make manicures and pedicures safe, we must realize that until the changes have solidified, the consumer must continue to take serious precautions. While you wait patiently for the government to take notice of this serious health scare, you must bring Dr. Siegal's Savvy Nail Kit to each of your nail appointments. The kit, created by Dr. Carolyn Siegal, a Beverly Hills podiatrist and attending physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, includes physician-selected nail implements and a special patent-pending liner for pedicure tubs. "It is refreshing to see affected individuals making impressive efforts to change the sanitation regulations in the cosmetic industry," explained Dr. Siegal. "We can only hope to see such changes; but in the meantime, my firm medical advice is to take your own tools and tub liners to the salon in order to reduce your risk of exposure to transmissible diseases. I have made it fashionable and fun for the consumers to take their own tools." Many cosmetologists are not educated about disease prevention and may unintentionally put their customers at risk. An estimated 36 million people in the United States have nail fungus. Of these, only 6.2 million individuals have been diagnosed and only 2.5 million are being treated with oral medications. This leaves over 28 million people in America walking around with toenail fungus, a disease caused by an organism which thrives in warm, damp locations like the salon's pedicure tub. Below are five tips that you can follow to protect yourself during a nail appointment: -- Buy your own nail kit and use it for every appointment. Do not share any of the tools. -- Know that Credo blades and razors are illegal and should never be used. A medical grade autoclave is the only way to effectively sterilize metal items through intense pressurized heat (this is not the same as the small machines with ultraviolet light). -- Barbicide, the blue liquid used in many salons, will not kill hepatitis C or similar viruses because it is only a disinfectant. -- Make sure that the license for each technician is clearly posted and that the salon looks sanitary. -- Manicurists must wash their hands between clients and stations should be clean and dry. -- Contact your doctor immediately if something "unusual" happens during your routine mani/pedi. Siegal said that she is astonished that the Board of Cosmetology regulations are not as strong as OSHA's regulations in the medical arena. She frequently sees patients in her office who have asymptomatic hepatitis C that she treats for nail-fold lacerations (cuts) obtained during pedicures. It is alarming to acknowledge that the nipper exposed to the blood of these patients was used on many other nail salon consumers without medical grade sanitation. The thought of this serious blood-borne disease being spread to others through unsanitary salon practices is nothing short of disturbing. She notes that doctors are required to sanitize their instruments with an autoclave, but salons are not. Also, most cosmetologists are uninformed about the "Universal Precautions": guidelines which the Center for Disease Control (CDC) set up in 1980. These strict guidelines require that medical professionals treat every patient as if they have a blood-borne disease. Siegal notes, "It would decrease everyone's risk of contracting infections and diseases if cosmetologists would practice Universal Precautions; however, most are unaware of what this would entail." In 1991, OSHA extended the Universal Precautions for police workers, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and people in related fields to prevent the spread of HIV and other diseases. People like Siegal, Paula Abdul and many others believe it is time for the salon industry to catch up and help keep people safe. Jennifer Aniston, Lindsay Lohan and Neve Campbell have Dr. Siegal's Savvy Nail Kits, as does Los Angeles wedding planner Mindy Weiss, who purchased several as bridal party gifts. The kit retails for $49.99, and the foot tub liners, which are also being used in many salons, can be purchased at $19.99 for a ten-pack. Visit www.drcarolyncollection.com or call 1-866-500-KITS to purchase kits and tub liners or for more information. » Posted by Igor at 9:55 AM | Discuss July 13, 2005 paula abdul to leave american idol? After Corey Clark accused American Idol judge Paula Abdul of lending him a helping hand in more ways than one during season two of the show, many fans and critics believed that Paula should be booted from the show. While I was never one of those people, that wish may just be coming true. Rumors are flying that Paula Abdul will be replaced for season 5 of AI. First in line as of right now to take her place between Simon and Randy is Whitney Houston. While this hardly seems like a step up, Whitney has clearly had a more successful music career than Paula. If Whitney does in fact replace Paula, one can only hope that her success as a performer will translate to her being more beneficial to the contestants than Paula ever was. Other than Whitney, it seems Mariah Carey is also in the hunt to be judge number three. While this would certainly be a much better replacement in my opinion, I find this one highly unlikely. Considering Mariah is once again atop the charts I don't think she would waste her valuable recording and touring time hanging around the set of AI. Even though Paula has been virtually useless as a judge, if she does in fact leave I would actually be a little sad. It's hard to imagine the show without her. But don't feel too bad for her. If the rumors hold true she will be switching shows to the American Idol spin-off "So You Think You Can Dance." We'll know soon, "Dance" premieres next Wednesday. » Posted by Igor at 12:00 AM | Discuss July 11, 2005 dance fever hits tv, again, as "so you think you can dance" warms up (AP)--Shall we dance, ABC's Dancing with the Stars asked viewers. The mildly astonishing answer was: Heck, yes. Pairing professional hoofers with celebrities of varying degrees of talent or klutziness (former boxing champ Evander Holyfield was game but no Astaire or even Ali) the show challenged them to dance styles not seen in most clubs. Maestro, a quick step, please. Dancing with the Stars caught the audience's imagination and drew up to 16 million weekly viewers - the most-watched summer series since Survivor debuted in 2000. General Hospital star Kelly Monaco and her partner, professional dancer Alec Mazo, tore up the dance floor Wednesday night with a hip-shaking samba to win the contest. They beat the odds-on favourite, John O'Hurley and his partner, Charlotte Jorgensen. The ABC program, also on shown on CTV, may even qualify as part of a trendlet. Dance is on display in movie theatres, with the charming documentary Mad Hot Ballroom, about a competition for fifth-graders in New York, and Rize, detailing the culture of the athletic, urban-born dance called krumping. Another TV entry, So You Think You Can Dance, is poised to show it has the right moves. From the producers of American Idol and Dick Clark, the Fox series, also shown on CTV, debuts July 20 (8-10 p.m. EDT) follows roughly the pattern of the network's hit singing competition. Viewers pick the winner of a potentially career-building prize. For singers, it's a record deal. For dancers, it's $100,000 and an apartment in New York for a year, putting them within a high-kick of Broadway. But a single champ doesn't mean the performances are always solo. The 16 finalists will be randomly teamed up each week and told to strut their stuff on old and new dances ranging from ballroom to salsa to hip-hop. It's time to bring couples dancing back, said series producer Nigel Lythgoe, who started as a dancer and choreographer in his native England and worked with such stellar talents as Gene Kelly and the Muppets on TV specials. "I wanted to go back to, 'Hey, you can take somebody in your arms and dance.' What happened to the great American proms we see so much in movies?" he said. "Now it's all turning into dance battles." So the series embraces the romanticism of dance? "Yes," Lythgoe says, then offers a qualifier: "It's still competition, but it's not combative." One interested observer welcomes dance's resurgence. Deney Terrio coached John Travolta for Saturday Night Fever and hosted disco-fuelled Dance Fever, which debuted in 1979 and aired in syndication through 1987 (with Adrian Zmed as host the last two years.) Today's talent contests echo Dance Fever, on which couples were judged by celebrities including Tina Turner, Sammy Davis Jr. and actor-dancer Donald O'Connor. Terrio, who has a six-day-a-week disco music program on Sirius Satellite Radio, thinks pairs dancing has an inevitable appeal and is pitching his own project to TV networks. "I think romance will never die. People like dancers who can do the gymnastics and other moves but there's nothing like a couple - how am I going to say this - making love on the dance floor," Terrio said. American Idol creator Simon Fuller and Dick Clark Productions had initially teamed to revisit Clark's American Bandstand. But they decided an updated format was in order and called on Lythgoe to create a contest. (Clark has been recovering from a stroke he suffered last December.) So You Think You Can Dance opens with 50 contestants, amateurs and pros between jobs, who were chosen at open auditions in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. Asked what he observed at the tryouts, Lythgoe cited a startling number of belly dancers: "I've been to the Middle East and never seen so many belly dancers as in this country. Maybe it's something they do to keep fit." More importantly, the experience reinforced for Lythgoe the importance of training and the general lack of it in contemporary dancing. "Once you pirouette on your head, you've got to remember that dancing's also done on your feet. And they weren't very good when you took their tricks away from them," he said. "Once we put them with a choreographer, there were very few people who could pick up (steps)." Top choreographers will help whip them into winning shape. They include Mia Michaels, Brian Friedman, Dan Karaty, Alex Da Silva and Mary Murphy, who count such pop stars as Celine Dion and Britney Spears in their collective credits. The choreographers also will serve as judges, whittling the dancers down to four finalists. Viewers will choose the winner. Terrio offers a word of advice for viewers, based on experience. "Look out, guys. Women will be watching the dance show and saying, "Why don't you dance like that?"' » Posted by Igor at 11:42 AM | Discuss whitney as a future american idol judge? (UK-flava)--It has been reported that producers of American Idol have asked Whitney Houston to be a judge on the fifth season of the show. The R&B singer who is now 41 years of age, is the producers' first choice as a replacement for Paula Abdul if she leaves to become a judge on Fox' spin-off 'So You Think You Can Dance' reality show. Mariah Carey has also reportedly been approached to appear in the show. » Posted by Igor at 11:35 AM | Discuss July 10, 2005 paula abdul sued by jeweler Pop star-turned-American Idol judge Paula Abdul is being sued by a Los Angeles jeweler who claims she never returned items she loaned her for TV appearances. Nancy Davis claims she gave Abdul $36,000 of jewels, which she wore for the Idol final in May (05) and the star still has them. » Posted by Igor at 12:00 AM | Discuss July 8, 2005 paula abdul “takes it to the beach” Singer Paula Abdul, a celebrity judge on TV’s hit show American Idol, will make a special guest appearance at “Takin’ It to the Beach,” the L.A. Mart’s Gift for Life benefit, Saturday, July 23. “We are ecstatic that Paula has agreed to lend her support to our fundraising efforts for amfAR,” said L.A. Mart v.p. and general manager Gerry Siebel. “Her extraordinary talent and genuine appeal as a performer and humanitarian will guarantee strong attendance, advancing our cause for those living with HIV and AIDS.” The L.A. Mart’s “Takin’ It to the Beach” 2005 is projected to raise total revenues for the four-year event to more than $100,000. » Posted by Igor at 12:00 AM | Discuss July 2, 2005 paula abdul may step into fox's dance show (GRANDFORKSHERALD)--The imbroglio over Paula Abdul's alleged affair with ousted "American Idol" contestant Corey Clark apparently is all but forgotten. "Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, who also is producing Fox's upcoming competition series "So You Think You Can Dance," said he is looking for a way to involve Abdul in the new show. "I'm still trying to talk her into something," Lythgoe told reporters during a conference call Wednesday. He didn't offer specifics as to how Abdul, who is a seasoned dancer and choreographer, would contribute. "I don't want to talk about (it) yet because if it doesn't come off it will be sad," he said. "But I'm still talking to her. There's a little idea that I think would be fabulous for her. She loves it, but we've just got to try to make it work date-wise and everything else." Last month, Clark went public with allegations that Abdul lavished special attention on him during the 2003 cycle of "Idol," including offering grooming tips and advice on song selection. Their relationship, Clark said, eventually turned sexual. Clark was ousted from the wholesome competition show when it was revealed that he had been arrested for allegedly assaulting his younger sister. Lythgoe said he expects Abdul to be back in her judge's seat between Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson for the foreseeable future. » Posted by Igor at 12:00 AM | Discuss