Is Paula Abdul getting ready to jump ship after this Season of AI?  A report in OK! Magazine says Abdul is planning to “transition”paula-rah-rah out, allegedly to begin working on several new TV ventures.  “She knows that every season could be her last. Now she’s got a new secret venture that she’s really excited about,” OK! quoted a source as saying.   Paula is currently filming, are you ready for this,  Paula Abdul’s RAH Cheerleading Bowl  a cheerleader competition airing on MTV, New Years Day.  (I believe Paula herself was a RAH RAH.)   Access Hollywood contacted a representative for Abdul and “no comment” was the response.  Paula Abdul has been a judge alongside Cowell and Jackson since American Idol debuted in 2002.  Season 8 begins January 13, 2009.

And as you know, this season, the judging panel welcomes a fourth member — Kara DioGuardi.   However, Nigel Lythgoe who likes Kara DioGuardi says he doesn’t like her as a 4th Judge on his former show.   ”I think she’s a lovely lady, and I think she’s relevant and up to date, but, personally, I would never have done it, Lythgoe told the New York Post in a Thursday report.

“I don’t like fourth judges,” Lythgoe said, according to the Post. “I think once you’ve been told ‘You suck,’ you don’t need to be told another three times.” Lythgoe, executive producer for the first 7 seasons of  Idol  went on to say that while he’s approved the show’s use of fourth judges in the past, it was only because they were “temporary” guests not regulars. “We’ve had lots of fourth judges, as guests, which was OK for me because they would be in one show and then you get rid of them the next,” Lythgoe told the Post.

idol-judgesLythgoe also told the Post  that while he’s confident of Cowell’s new bigger role in Idol’s production, he, Cowell, has  “never produced anything on television” and should take care.  “At the end of the day, you have to leave it for the producers to produce, because if you’re in it, you’re seeing it from a completely different perspective and he’s going to need to realize that,” he told the Post. “Sometimes you can’t see the woods through the trees and you tend to lose the most important thing, which is so often forgotten: common sense.”

hudsonJennifer Hudson gave her first statement since the funeral of her Mom, Brother and Nephew thanking her fans,  via her MySpace page Thursday evening,  for their encouragement,  ”I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.   My sister and I take great comfort and strength from your love and concern.”

Meanwhile, the Gap unveiled new ads featuring  Hudson for the clothing company’s winter campaign.  Lisa Kasteler, Gap’s publicist noted that these ads were planned months ago and had already gone to print prior to the tragedy.  This picture of Jennifer is from the Gap ad.  Maybe this ad will help in her healing.