Dr Karl's fantasy figure Paula Abdul to guest star on Neighbours in July

Paula Abdul is making a guest appearance on Neighbours in July.

The US pop star and former US X Factor judge drops into Ramsay Street in connection with a romantic storyline with Dr Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher) who reveals he's had a long-time crush on her.

Dr Karl and Paula Abdul? Viewers will have to wait and see if his fantasy comes true, or if he and wife Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) make it to their 20th wedding anniversary...

Paula said: “I remember watching Neighbours when I was in England in the 1980s. I thought it was a lot of fun and for it to still be popular after nearly 30 years is an amazing achievement.

“Everyone was so nice and I will admit, Dr Karl was very charming. I had a really lovely time.”

Paula makes her Neighbours debut on Channel 5 on Friday, July 4.

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.