Former 'American Idol' judge Paula Abdul says Simon Cowell 'permanently damaged' her brain: 'I felt...'
It appears that Paula Abdul didn't have a great time working with Simon Cowell on 'American Idol.' While having a conversation with Fox News, Abdul was asked to shed light on her time on the ABC singing competition as the only female judge alongside Randy Jackson and Cowell. At that point, 'The Way That You Love Me' hitmaker jokingly said, "Being the only woman on the panel, I had to overcome the guy on the left of me. It starts with an 'S' and ends with 'imon,' and the left side of my brain is permanently damaged with a British accent. But no big deal because at least I had Randy to the right of me."
Abdul was one of the original judges on the ABC singing show 'American Idol' from 2002 to 2009. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Abdul made a jaw-dropping revelation. Then, Abdul stated that she had 'quit the show eight times' on her very first day on the judge's panel. "I felt terrible for those kids. I would try to maintain composure in the midst of absurdity, and they were completely delusional, like brilliantly delusional. 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," Abdul shared at that time.
At the moment, 'American Idol' is in its 23rd season, and the current judging panel consists of Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood, who joined the show after Katy Perry's departure. Abdul had nothing but good things to say about the former 'American Idol' Season 4 winner Underwood. "Carrie has an unbelievable advantage, having come from her humble beginning of being on the show. 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," Abdul said.
Back in the day, Cowell saw the potential in Underwood and made a big prediction about her while she was competing for the winner title on the fourth season of 'American Idol.' Then, Underwood wowed the judges with her rendition of 'Alone' by the rock band Heart, and Cowell was in complete awe of her flawless vocals. Then, Cowell told Underwood, "You know, you’re not just the girl to beat. You’re the person to beat. I will make a prediction. Not only will you win this show, but you will also sell more records than any other previous Idol.”
During an April 2025 episode of her “Idol to Icon” web series, Underwood spoke about the bold prediction made by Cowell. As per Entertainment Now, while reflecting on that particular moment, Underwood went on to say, “What an incredible prediction — from me, you know, thinking, ‘I’m gonna sing this song, oh my gosh, you know, they’re probably gonna hate it, but I’m gonna do it anyway,’ and then to get that reaction. At the time, I thought, ‘This is amazing,’ and then about five seconds later, I thought, ‘I have a target on my back. Now everybody’s going to hate me.’ Just because that’s such a bold tip, you told me I was going to win the show. I remember thinking people might not like me after that and being really nervous.”