American Idol’s Kara DioGuardi: There Was Never Any Weirdness With Paula

By: Jen Smith
Fancast.com

The past year has been like a fairy tale for Kara DioGuardi. Ever since the singer/songwriter was plucked from obscurity and placed in front of the spotlight as the newest judge on American Idol, she’s been on a whirlwind adventure. Having worked with such superstars like Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, and Pink—as well as a plethora of Idol contestants over the years—DioGuardi was a perfect fit for the struggling, yet still popular, program.

With Idol’s premiere date just around the corner, DioGuardi decided to answer a few burning questions.

Here are just a few of the highlights of Kara’s talk with Fancast:

•Kara promises that they guys will dominate the talent pool this year. “There was a lot of soul influence especially with a lot of these male contestants where they had soulfulness in their voice. And I’m not talking R&B; but like the way Maroon 5 is soulful.”

•She usually gets to cast the deciding vote, not Simon. She would often have Randy and Paula say yes to a contestant, “and then I knew [Simon] would say no, so I had to make that critical decision there whether I was going to give them another shot.”

Watch previews of the new American Idol season on Fancast

•She loves it when contestants play instruments. “It just adds another component to their artistry and it shows another side of them as a performer, so I really encourage that. There are a lot of people that really fall apart, too, when you take their instrument away from them.”

•On how she would describe her fellow judges: “Paula has a lot of heart. I would say that Simon pretty much tells it like it is. Sometimes he can be pretty harsh, but he’s usually right. And Randy’s just a diplomat.”

•And what about herself? “I think they’re going to see someone who’s pretty feisty and opinionated, but it’s also coming from a good place. I’m trying to help these contestants and impart my own experience on them because at the end of the day whether they win or lose, they’ve learned something.”

•She made quite a few faux pas as the newbie, like not knowing when to talk. “When do I speak? Who’s talking now? Who’s going now? And then my looks in the beginning. The makeup and the hair took me a minute.”

•On working with Kelly Clarkson: “I loved Kelly because I would tell her to sing anything, and she could sing it. She was feisty; she put her personality into the songs.”

•She would love to work with Chris Daughtry, saying “if he’s out there and wants to do a co-write, please call me!”

•She never in a million years thought she would be a judge on Idol. I felt like I hit the lottery. It’s just an honor, and I’m looking forward to making this year as great as it can be and finding the best talent out there and getting my spin on why I think they’re great or why they’re not.”

•She hangs out with the other judges when the cameras stop rolling. “There were a few nights when Randy, Ryan, Paula and I had dinner. I do see Paula more than the other guys, but we definitely hang out during lunch. We talk. It’s very pleasant. There was never any weirdness. They were very accepting of me.”

American Idol premieres this Tuesday at 8 p.m. on Fox. Check out Fancast’s previews of the new season or read what Executive Producer Ken Warwick had to say about Kara.