Nigel Lythgoe Invites Idol's Paula Abdul to SYTYCD

NYDailyNews: If "American Idol" producers and Paula Abdul can't come to terms on a new deal, there's at least one TV producer willing to hire her. 

"We would certainly consider [Abdul as] a guest judge," "So You Think You Can Dance" executive producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe told the Daily News Tuesday. "Without question."

Abdul, a former Los Angeles Lakers cheerleader, has worked as a choreographer to stars like Janet Jackson for the better part of her career. 

Lythgoe, a former executive producer of "Idol," made the offer after hypothesizing about what may be going on behind closed doors in the "Idol" offices now that Abdul is playing hardball with her contract. 

"I'd never been involved in negotiations when I was with the show, but having spoken with [Fox president of alternative programming] Mike Darnell, I know Fox wants to keep Paula," said Lythgoe. "The figures that have been quoted for Simon [Cowell] and Ryan [Seacrest] are great figures. I don't know if they're true, but Paula seeing those figures would make her pretty upset." 

Reached Tuesday, Darnell declined to comment. 

"They will talk and try to iron things out, and if they don't come to an agreement, then Paula will move on," he added. "At the end of the day, that program is bigger than any individual. Even Simon."

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