New York ? “American Idol” has kicked off contestants for concealing sordid secrets about their pasts — including Corey Clark, who now claims he had an affair with judge Paula Abdul while competing two years ago.

Will Abdul be next?

Responding Thursday to Clark’s accusations, Fox officials and the show’s producers didn’t mention Abdul’s name and minimized the role of judges in choosing winners. But it’s clearly a crisis for “American Idol,” which has managed to shake off other challenges.

Ousted contestants, clogged phone lines that hindered voting, incorrect voting phone numbers that forced a do-over earlier this season, superior singers being suspiciously eliminated — nothing has derailed the “Idol” juggernaut, which was watched by an estimated 24.5 million people Wednesday.

“We have gone to great lengths and great expense to create a voting system that is fair and reliable,” a statement from Fox said Thursday. “Judges may offer opinions, but viewers vote using their own subjective criteria, and it is the voters who ultimately determine each season’s American idol.”

There was no immediate comment Thursday from Abdul about Clark’s claims on ABC’s “Primetime Live,” which were buttressed by phone records, a voice-mail message, the testimony of his parents and friends, and other circumstantial evidence. She has called Clark — who’s almost 20 years younger than her and was kicked off “Idol” for not coming clean about charges he assaulted his younger sister — a “liar” and an opportunist with a new book and CD to sell. She has not specifically denied his charges, however.

“If there is a shred of truth that she messed around with a contestant, you won’t see her as a judge next year,” said Shari Anne Brill, a television analyst for the media buying firm Carat USA.

Still, Brill said, “The franchise will live on. They seemed to weather all of these other storms.”

It would be far worse if, like during the 1950s quiz show scandals, nefarious backstage dealings influenced the outcome of the contest, said both Brill and Stacey Lynn Koerner, another representative of a company that advises advertisers where to place their commercials.

Research by Koerner’s company, Initiative Media, indicates Abdul is one of the top reasons why fans love “American Idol.”

“It would be difficult to say how forgiving they would be,” she said. “But given the fact that they are predisposed to love her, they could be very forgiving.”

Fox needs to do some research about whether fans would accept Abdul being forced out, she said.

Clark, a 24-year-old amateur singer from Nashville, Tenn., said on “Primetime Live” that he was unable to resist the advances of the 42-year-old Abdul.

He said Abdul advised him on his clothes, haircut and song selection for “American Idol,” and slept with him in the guest bedroom of her Los Angeles home, where he shared space with her dogs Thumbelina, Tulip and Tinker Bell.

The “Primetime Live” special drew 13.8 million viewers, winning its time slot against original episodes of “CSI: NY” on CBS and “Law & Order” on NBC.

Fox said Clark had not responded to requests for help investigating his charges. Clark said he had no interest in helping the show that booted him off.