How close was Paula Abdul to being replaced as an American Idol judge?

Very close ... according to the singer who says she was asked to replace Abdul.

"As far as American Idol goes, I was actually approached a couple of years ago about possibly replacing Paula Abdul" Belinda Carlisle recently said.

Though the founder of The Go-Go's wasn't a fan of the show's format - and therefore turned down the offer - such news just adds to the speculation surrounding Abdul's life-span on the show.

"To be perfectly honest, it's just not my thing. I'd rather listen to music that comes from a more organic place. But you know, I just ... don't know if I would or not" said Carlisle.

For the rest of this year, at least, you can bet Paula will be the one to judge such hopefuls as Melinda Doolittle.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.