Seacrest 'confident' about judges' return

Ryan Seacrest has revealed that he is confident that Paula Abdul and Kara DioGuardi will return for the next season of American Idol.

The host of the singing competition said that he believes the pair will sign deals to carry on as judges for the ninth season, TV Guide reports.

He said: "I do. I don't have any reason to believe otherwise. I love having Paula on the show. She has become a very good friend."

Seacrest expressed sympathy for DioGuardi's position as the newest member of the show’s panel, saying: "The rest of us are used to it, because we've done it for so many years. But for someone who's never been on television and never been in a situation like it...

"I give Kara a lot of credit for having thick skin, showing up every day, having a smile on her face and doing a good job."

He added: "Obviously, all of us have been through so much together as a unit on the show, so to look down and see one less, of any of them, really wouldn't feel the same. It might throw us off."

Earlier this week, Abdul’s publicist denied rumours that the 'Straight Up' singer will not be on board for the next season.

Auditions for season nine of Idol kicked off this week.