#Middlebury
Q: Do you think the original judges from “American Idol” will ever return to that show? I know Simon Cowell is with “America’s Got Talent,” but I miss the old days of “AI.” There’s too many of these shows on the air now anyway. – O.S.
A: It’s hard to believe it’s been almost two decades since we met Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson on our television screens. We children of the ’80s already knew Paula Abdul from her pop music career, but she became a household name to all the generations who watched her as a judge on “American Idol.” She left the show in 2009. Cowell followed a year later, and Jackson was the last to depart. Each has gone on to other projects, either in front of the camera or behind the scenes as producers.
Paula Abdul (Depositphotos photo)
Cowell has been recuperating after breaking his back in August while riding his electric bike. Abdul can be seen as a panelist on the new Fox reality competition show “The Masked Dancer.” Randy Jackson served as a producer of “America’s Best Dance Crew” series and currently promotes a brand of health supplements. Jackson underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2003 and has kept the weight off.
As for a revival of the original “American Idol” judge crew, I’m all for it. Maybe it’ll happen for its 20-year anniversary in 2022. However, in the meantime, season 19 of “Idol” will begin airing in February with judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.
Q: Is the actress who plays Flo on the soap “The Bold and the Beautiful” the same one who played the intern on “30 Rock”? – C.T.
A: Yes, she is. Actress Katrina Bowden was cast on the NBC comedy “30 Rock,” created by and starring Tina Fey, at just 18 years old. She played Cerie, the beautiful but mostly incompetent assistant behind the scenes of a fictional sketch comedy show. She later appeared in a few movies, but returned to television on the CBS daytime soap.
Don’t knock soaps though. With their fast pace and loads of dialogue to memorize, soaps are a great training ground for actors. Several stars who started their careers in primetime or film find the pace too much of a challenge, so I applaud Bowden for exceling at it.
Q: I just read about the passing of author John le Carre. He was my father’s favorite writer. Dad especially loved the book “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.” Did he have any books waiting for publication at the time of his death? – P.M.
A: Le Carre recently passed away from pneumonia at the age of 89. His final novel, “A Legacy of Spies,” was published in 2017, and it’s not known yet if he was working on anything before his death. The film adaptation of “Tinker” came out in 2011 and starred Gary Oldman, who was nominated for an Oscar for the role.
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.
© 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
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