More than 15 years after she left American Idol, Paula Abdul revealed one of the fellow judges left her “permanently damaged.”
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During a recent chat with Fox News Digital, Abdul spoke about being the only female judge with Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson.
“Being the only woman on that panel, I had to overcome the guy on the left of me,” she said. “Starts with a ‘S’ and ends with ‘imon,’ and the left side of my brain is permanently damaged with a British accent.”
She also said, “But no big deal because at least I had Randy to the right of me.”
Abdul was one of the three original judges on the show from 2002 to 2009. She previously spoke to Entertainment Weekly about quitting “eight times” on her first day on the panel.
“I felt terrible for those kids,” she recalled. “I would try to maintain composure in the midst of absurdity, and they were completely delusional, like brilliantly delusional.”
She further pointed out, “But there was never a shortage of really incredible voices and raw talent. We were always able to find it, and that’s what was so exciting.”
Paula Abdul Praises Carrie Underwood For Being on the ‘American Idol’ Judges Panel
When asked about Carrie Underwood’s approach to being on the American Idol judges’ panel this season, Paula Abdul had nothing but praise for the former winner.
“Carrie has an unbelievable advantage, having come from her humble beginning of being on the show,” she explained. “She was such a magnificent artist, as a contestant, and she’s gone on to have the most stellar career. She comes back, and she’s giving back as well. She’s doing a great job.”
Cowell had predicted Underwood’s success when she was a contestant on American Idol.
“Carrie, you’re not just the girl to beat,” he told her. “You’re the person to beat. I will make a prediction. Not only will you win this show, you will sell more records than any other previous Idol winner.”