Paula Abdul has hit out at reports she appeared on US TV drunk

Story & Pictures: Splash News and Picture Agency

The singer-turned-reality show judge seemed to slur her words, roll her eyes and lose her train of thought on a breakfast news broadcast on Friday talking about the new series of reality talent show American Idol. But she insisted that her behaviour was due to technical difficulties.

The clip, in which Abdul appeared in a studio link-up from New York on a Fox News channel in Seattle on Friday, was quickly posted on the Internet and viewed by thousands of fans worldwide.


In it, the hosts asked Abdul what she thought about the upcoming series of the hit show.  Abdul, 44, told the bemused female anchors: "How about a lot of you coming in? "It's a wild party where you are." She also gesticulates wildly and Abdul then tells viewers: "Listen, any publicity is good publicity. "You've got to embrace it."

Abdul, who can be seen swaying from side to side, later reportedly cancelled other scheduled interviews for that day. Jeff Ballard, a spokesman for the star said: "They dropped the sound twice. It was confusing to her. She heard a lot of screaming in her ear. She was sitting in a room with just a camera and a mic on. "She never drinks. I have known Paula Abdul since she was 13, and I have never seen her drink ever in my life. And no, she is not on any kind of medication. "It's much ado about nothing."

He told a US newspaper that the former chart star was tired out after a hectic promotion schedule. He said: "She was tired, but she was certainly fine. "You get tired after doing three hours of those [interviews]." It is not the first time she has faced controversy on the show. In 2005, former contestant Corey Clark said he had an affair with Abdul during filming, which she denied.

The same year, Abdul revealed she suffers from a neurological disorder that causes chronic pain and requires a weekly injection of an anti-inflammatory drug. In November 2006 pint-sized actor Danny DeVito seemed to be drunk during a chat show appearance on The View, blaming his behaviour on a night out with pal George Clooney. The new series of American Idol debuts in the US on Tuesday.