American Idol: Paula Abdul refers to Simon Cowell as ‘STD’ while filling in as guest judge

Paula Abdul shocked a live audience by referring to Simon Cowell as ‘STD’ while filling in as a guest judge Monday on American Idol.

The weird moment occurred when show host Ryan Seacrest, 46, got a FaceTime call from former Idol co-star Randy Jackson, 64, who wanted to say hello to him and Paula.

The 58-year-old recording artist had agreed to fill in for judge Luke Bryan, 44, who announced earlier that day that he tested positive for COVID-19.

Ryan was thrilled to see his pal, with whom he’d worked on nine seasons of the show since its 2002 launch.

‘We have so many stories, so many memories,’ he noted, as Paula called being there ‘nostalgic.’

‘I feel like I’m visiting my little brother on our show that we started with our other brother Randy, and of course our grandfather, Simon,’ she cracked.

Ryan showed a photo of Paula and himself ‘at the beginning of it all, when we had no idea what American Idol was going to become.’

During a break, he got a call on his iPad from Randy, who was watching the show at home.

‘It feels like old times, right?’ Randy asked Ryan and Paula.

‘Yes, it does,’ Paula said. ‘We’re just missing the STD.’

‘The what?’ a stunned Ryan asked, as the room fell totally silent.

‘Super-Talented… Debonair,’ Paula said slowly, obviously referring to Simon, 61.

Rolling with it, Ryan then asked Randy to critique Paula’s hosting gig, and the music industry vet said she was doing an ‘amazing’ job along with the other Idol judges.

After Randy hung up, Ryan marveled, ‘He was just watching the show!’

‘Anything goes tonight,’ said Katy Perry, 36, laughing. ‘It’s crazy!’

‘I mean, just checking my hearing,’ Ryan joked.

Paula’s appearance on the show wasn’t the only news that Idol broke on its Monday live show, which whittled the Top 16 down to the Top 12.

Ten of the finalists were voted through by America, while two were chosen by the judges.  

Ryan also revealed that Wyatt Pike, 20, a college student from Park City, Utah, had dropped out of the competition. 

No further explanation was offered about Wyatt’s departure to viewers.

Idol reps have reportedly declared it was for ‘personal reasons,’ and at least one online source suggested Wyatt may have violated the show’s coronavirus travel protocols.

That set the stage for what Ryan called ‘the biggest shake-up in Idol history’.

Next Monday, last year’s season 18 Top 10 finalists will return to vie for a slot in the current line-up.

To announce the Top 10 for season 19, Ryan first called each contestant to the stage, then read the results of Idol’s nationwide vote to let them know whether or not they’d made it.

After singing a new song, the chosen ones sat in the show’s ‘Victory Zone’ area, while five runners-up flocked to a separate ‘Danger Zone’ section nearby.

They would ‘sing for their lives’ and the judges’ saves at the end of the show, Ryan explained.

Katy said at one point that just 900 votes separated some of the contestants.

Watching from home, Luke texted an Idol producer to say how well everyone was doing, though he typed a few things Ryan couldn’t repeat on camera.

‘Y’all are lookin’ pretty,’ Luke messaged. ‘Miss you all so much. Damn it, this stinks… This really hurts my heart watching. I love this so much.’

The first contestant to enter the Top 10 was Casey Bishop, a 16-year-old high schooler from Estero, Florida, who belted The Animals’ House Of The Rising Sun.

Next through was Deshawn Goncalves, a 20-year-old college student from Cleveland, who had the judges dancing to Stevie Wonder’s Higher Ground.

Cassandra Coleman, a 24-year-old coffee shop manager from Columbia, Tennessee, marked her win by singing Maggie Rogers’ Light On.

Caleb Kennedy, a 16-year-old high school student from Roebuck, South Carolina, sang his original, Nowhere, which the judges liked during auditions.

Ava August, a 15-year-old high school student from Laguna Niguel, California, celebrated her pass-through with a heartbreaking cover of Queen’s Love Of My Life.

Chayce Beckham, a 24-year-old heavy machine operator from Apple Valley, California, reprised his audition song What Brings Life Also Kills, by Kolton Moore & The Clever Few.

Luke texted Katy while watching Chayce: ‘Dang. I’m still not that cool.’

Alyssa Wray, a 19-year-old college student from Perryville, Kentucky, sang a faithful version of Whitney Houston’s The Greatest Love Of All after she made it.

Former Idol superstar Jennifer Hudson, 39, DM’d her before she went on.

‘She told me I had a big instrument and said to make ’em wait for it,’ Alyssa recalled.

Willie Spence, a 21-year-old caretaker from Douglas, Georgia, revisited his viral YouTube cover of Rihanna’s Diamonds when he was voted through.

Grace Kinstler, a 20-year-old college student from Lakewood, Illinois, celebrated her Top 10 inclusion with a fiery version of Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman.

The last singer to make it via viewer voting was Hunter Metts, a 22-year-old software developer from Franklin, Tennessee, who crooned Bonnie Raitt’s I Can’t Make You Love Me.

Paula loved it so much she turned to the contestants and said, ‘I just want to ask all of you: What did your mothers breastfeed you? It’s incredible.’

The five singers in the Danger Zone were Alanis Sophia, 19, Colin Jamieson, 22, Beane, 23, Graham DeFranco, 24, and Madison Watkins, 26.

Colin, a wedding singer from Boxford, Massachusetts, deliberately picked what he called ‘a fight song, an anthem’ to perform and sang Dean Lewis’ Waves.

Madison, a hair model from Fayetteville, Arkansas, did a R&B take on Drake’s Hotline Bling.

‘It is very clear to me that Madison was singing for the career,’ announced Lionel Richie, 71, telling Madison, ‘Your life story, everything, you put it out on the floor tonight.’

Beane, a wedding singer from Brighton, Massachusetts, crooned a pretty version of Ben Platt’s Grow As We Go that raised the judges’ estimation of his skills.

‘You grew into your artistry,’ an impressed Lionel told him, calling the performance ‘stellar.’ ‘And it’s not about doing anything extra. You just enjoyed being in that rhythm.’

Katy admired his control on the song and called herself ‘a card-carrying Beanie Baby fan.’

Alanis, a high school student from Dade City, Florida, rocked her rendition of Demi Lovato’s Heart Attack, stomping around the stage like a pro.

Aerial survey pilot Graham, from Rockwell, Texas, earned a standing ovation from the judges for his rendition of Jason Isbell’s Cover Me Up.

In the final analysis, the judges announced that they had unanimously chosen to save Madison and Beane, based on their performances that evening.

‘There was no ifs, ands or buts about it,’ Katy said.

American Idol will return Sunday on ABC.