MARY J. BLIGE TO BE A GUEST JUDGE ON AMERICAN IDOL!

In the wake of Paula Abdul's departure from "American Idol" earlier this month, Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham and Katy Perry announced they'd sit at the judges' table alongside Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi during auditions. Now, the latest star to wear the judge hat this season will be Mary J. Blige.

People.com reported on Friday (August 14) that the Grammy-winning R&B singer will be a guest judge when the crew heads to Atlanta.

Beckham's last day at the table was Friday, when she heard Boston's "Idol" hopefuls. Sources told People.com that the former Spice Girl fit in just fine with the other judges.

"The judges and production team have been having a lot of fun with Victoria," a show source says. "She's had a great response so far, and has been really warm with the contestants."

When Beckham spoke to Ryan Seacrest last week before starting the gig, she said that she wanted to be nice to the contestants, but still maintain a critical eye. "I want to be nice to people. I know how it feels to stand there and be judged, and how it can feel when nerves get the better of you. I don't want to shatter anybody's dream," she said. "But at the same time, there's nothing wrong with constructive criticism."

The permanent solution for filling Abdul's empty chair has yet to be announced. Earlier this month, Peter Rice, chairman of entertainment at Fox, told Reuters that they'll be coming up with a replacement "between now and January ... Obviously, there is going to be a different dynamic, [and] there is something exciting about that."

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