It looks like lessons have been learned since Simon Cowell recklessly signed up Kelly Brook for a whole series of Britain's Got Talent (only to ditch her after a couple of days) as Victoria Beckham has only been signed up for two trial slots as a judge on American Idol.

Posh, 35, has been announced as a temporary replacement for Paula Abdul, who quit (or was pushed) yesterday after months of speculation about how many bottles of vodka/kilos of prescription meds she might have been getting through.

Beckham was apparently brought in at the suggestion of Simon Cowell but the fact that her manager Simon Fuller is a producer on the show presumably had something to do with it.

A source told the Mirror: "Victoria is hugely flattered as this is one of the highest profile gigs in America.

"Network bosses would love to give her the job full-time and it looks like it’s there for her if she wants it.

"But at the moment, Victoria’s main priority is fashion. She doesn’t really need any distractions."

Which sounds to us like a pretty handy get-out clause if she turns out to be shit.