Paula Abdul will probably be the fourth X-Factor judge

As Simon Cowell closes in on the final two to fill out the judges panel for the American version of the X Factor, it’s clear he wants a mix of personalities, ranging from the cool respected professional (LA Reid) to the emotionally unstable drunk (guess).

“I’ve always wanted Paula,” Cowell told Deadline. “Always been very vocal about that. I missed her the second she left the show [“American Idol”]. Always loved working with her even though she can be a pain. And I’ve been consistent about this. I don’t know what it is about her, but I’ve always clicked with her. You just have to get that chemistry, and she’s right. I’ve never found anyone better than her. I think there’s a good chance it will be her. We’ve agreed that we would meet as many people as possible, and now we’re reaching the deadline we’ve got to make the decision soon. But I think she’s got a really good shot.”

So the four judges will probably be Simon, Reid, Paula and Cheyl Cole from the British version of Factor. Which means it won’t be long until we see Paula drunk and telling a losing contestant, “You’ve just been X-Factored!”, because she doesn’t really understand what the deal is here.