Paula Abdul’s surprise return to “American Idol” Thursday night was a reminder of the show’s once-powerful grip on prime time.
Abdul, back on “Idol” for the first time since leaving in 2009, surprised everyone by coming on-stage —weeping, of course — to congratulate semi-finalist Candice Glover on her rendition of Abdul’s ’80s hit, “Straight Up.”
“I’ve been watching this remarkable young lady captivate the audience week after week and I’ve got to tell you, Candice, I was really moved that you shared your beautiful vocals on a song that’s been a best friend to me,” Abdul said, hugging Glover. “I’ve been a big fan and I gotta tell you, I’m your biggest fan ever now.”
“Idol” host Ryan Seacrest then asked Abdul about the remaining finalists, who are all women. “Deservedly so,” Abdul said. “Congratulations to the judges for bringing the amazing talent in the first place, and congratulations to America for getting it right!”
Seacrest then escorted Abdul to the judges’ table, where she hugged Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban and sat in Jackson’s chair.
Despite the nostalgia, Thursday’s hour-long “Idol” episode was beaten at 8 p.m. — in total viewers and adults 18-49 — by a repeat of CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory.”
“Idol” rallied at 8:30, coasting to an easy victory in total viewers and adults 18-49 and averaging 11.9 million viewers for the hour.