It seems FOX decided to spice up the “American Idol” judge
formula, that we are all so familiar with. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy
Jackson are going to get a new colleague: Kara DioGuardi.
The 37-year-old singer-songwriter, who will be the youngest
of the judges, said she did not feel intimidated in her new role and she felt
she was up to the challenge.
“I'm just somebody who's really honest and gives my opinion.
If I feel I need to be hard with someone in order to get that across, I will,”
DioGuardi told reporters Monday.
She added that she will be softer and “more nurturing” with
the show contestants, if she feels she needs to do that, but it all depends on
the situation.
Regarding Simon Cowell, DioGuardi said she would speak to
him as she would speak to everybody.
“I'm just gonna have my opinion, be honest and I don't
foresee any problems. I'm really excited about this, and up for the challenge,”
she added.
She said she was very flattered that “Idol” thought about
her and she actually thought they were calling the wrong person when they
invited her to be the new judge.
DioGuardi will make her debut on the show in January, when
the eighth season of “American Idol” starts, the Fox network announced Monday.
Most people don’t know who Kara DioGuardi is, as she leads a
“low-key” life, as she said. But she’d better get used to celebrity, as she’ll
soon be an important part of the most popular reality show in television.
Even though she is not famous for the public, DioGuardi is
surely known in the music industry, as the songwriter for singers such as Pink,
Carrie Underwood, Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion
or Faith Hill. Some of the most popular hits she wrote, which were in the Top
40, are Clarkson’s “Walk Away,” Aguilera’s “No Other Man,” Dion’s “Taking
Chances” and Stefani’s “Rich Girl.”
Even teen stars Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers have released
songs created by DioGuardi.
In 2000, she co-wrote with her good friend Paula Abdul
“Spinning Around” for Kylie Minogue.
The Grammy-nominated songwriter is also co-owner of the
Los-Angeles based company Arthouse Entertainment, which is now producing music
by the teen star of the last Idol season: David Archuleta.
In a statement, Simon Fuller, the creator and executive
producer of “American Idol,” said that the team was “thrilled to welcome Kara
to the judges’ table.” He described DioGuardi as a “smart, sassy lady, and one
of America's most successful songwriters” and said he expected her to bring a
lot of energy and excitement to the show.
Executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz said this was not the
first time they thought about bringing a new judge to the table. She said they
thought to have four judges from the very beginning, because they have seen
from their international series that “having a fourth judge creates a dynamic
that benefits both the contestants and the viewers."
Moreover, Mike Darnell, Fox’s president of alternative
programming, thinks that Paula Abdul will be happy to have female companionship
at the table.
DioGuardi said that, when she watched “Idol,” she disagreed
with each of the judges several times, but she admitted that Cowell’s criticism
is usually correct. She expressed her hope to find The Next Big Thing.
