After the departure of Paula Abdul from the hit US talent show American Idol, it’s been announced, according to Reuters, that Katy Perry will appear as a guest judge to take her place. Professional pouter Victoria Beckham has also been mentioned as a possible stand-in when the show returns for its ninth run in spring 2010.

Paula Abdul only recently announced her departure from the show, apparently after failing to agree satisfactory terms with the show’s producers Fox Television.

It’s not yet clear whether Abdul will return at a later date and former Idol executive Nigel Lythgoe said:

“I still don’t know that she is going to leave ‘Idol’. Until ‘Idol’ goes on the air there are always opportunities for renegotiations..”

Fox say that they have considered various names including Perry and Beckham as stand-ins but have no plans to make the appearances a permanent arrangement.

It will be great to see Katy on the show and her appearances will probably bring a breath of fresh life to a format that most people would agree is starting to look a little tired.

• www.americanidol.com