NEW YORK — Paula Abdul says she's walking on cloud nine now that her longtime pal, Kara DioGuardi, is set to join her and fellow judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson on "American Idol."
"This is ecstatic for me," the 46-year-old Abdul told Access Hollywood last night as the hit Fox series held its first tryouts in New York City. "Honestly it's not just another girl, it's a friend. We've been friends since '99, '98."
Abdul has even collaborated with DioGuardi in the past, having teamed with the fellow songwriter to pen Kylie Minogue's 2000 U.K. hit "Spinning Around."
DioGuardi, who was announced as the newest member of the show's panel earlier this week, says she's not overly worried about holding her own against the bullish Cowell.
"[I'm] not intimidated," she told Access. "Now that I look at Simon, I can hold my own."
With regards to Cowell's take on sharing the limelight with another judge, he told Access that he's simply looking forward to sitting "between the two chicks."
As for how the newest member of the team will fit in, "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest says DioGuardi will be a welcome addition.
"I think she will bring sort of a candor and an unvarnished female point of view for the show, and I also think that she'll stand up to Simon at times when he needs to be stood up to," he said.
"I believe that having something different in the mix and having something unpredictable is good for all of us," added Seacrest. "We don't really know what to expect. And that's the beauty of it. We don't know what's going to happen."
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