Kara DioGuardio Speaks to the Press

Kara DioGuardio, newly appointed 4th judge for the upcoming season of American Idol, spoke to reporters in a conference call Monday afternoon. She’s currently on a whirlwind. She found out she got the gig 3 days ago, and before she knew it, she was flying out to New York. She’s yet to have a meeting with any of the judges. She says she’s as much in the dark about what’s going to happen when she sits down with Randy, Paula and Simon tomorrow afternoon to begin 3rd round auditions as any of us…

Late Breaking Item: Perez Hilton spoke with Paula Abdul,the phone and she attempts to clarify what she meant when she told the DJs at Phoenix-KISS that she was concerned about adding a 4th judge. Paula says her only concern is about how the viewers will react, but she’s very happy to have Kara aboard. Uh huh! Paula says, “This is gonna be a good thing. I’m really thrilled! For me, I’m excited as can be. I think this time around, it’s gonna work adding a new judge. A lot of surprises are in store that are gonna make it more exciting to watch the show.” She also goes into detail about how she met Kara in the early 90′s. Paula swears they are best buds!

Ryan Seacrest interviews Paula Abdul on his KISS LA morning show

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Here are some choice quotes from Monday’s interview:

• Her answer to reporters questions about where she will sit, who will be the tie-breaker and other logistics, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I just know that Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m on the judging panel and that Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m supposed to have my makeup done by 11 oà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢clock tomorrowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 
• What does she bring to the table? “I don’t think I can provide any more insight. I think my insight might be different, just because I have different opinions and my approach will be different. I’d say I’m going to be a straight shooter and say it like I see it and just maintain that philosophy.”
• Will she be tough? “I’m just somebody who’s really honest and gives my opinion and if I feel I need to be hard with someone in order to get that across, I will be and if I feel I need to be softer or more nurturing with some of the contestants, I’ll be that. It really depends on the situation.”
• About her judging style, “I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m similar to anybody. I have my own style…I’d say I’m honest…I’d say I believe in what I believe in, and I’m willing to fight for it. And I’m pretty feisty.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 
• About criticizing contestants, “I don’t look at it as criticism, I think that people are on the show as part of their journey. Whether they’re going to be huge artists or not, they’re there to learn something and no matter what, the experience is going to help them learn, so criticism can also be constructive. I’m not going to be on the show to just nail people. I’m also going to be on there to also help them.”

Sources: Associated Press, TV Squad, Zap2it, Los Angeles Times

More after the JUMP…

• About Simon Cowell, “Simon I don’t know that well. We had a conversation yesterday. He was very nice to me and congratulated me and gave me some encouraging words. I’m just gonna speak to Simon the way I 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.”
• About Simon’s judging, “I think he’s been pretty spot on most of the time.”
• She knows Randy Jackson, “Randy, I work at the same studio he works at, so I see him in the hallways. We have a good relationship. He is a great guy. I am looking forward to being in a room with all of them.”
• She knows Paula Abdul, “[Paula and I] co-wrote a song together early in my career that went on to be a big hit for Kylie Minogue.”
• About Paula’s “Concerns”, “I mean, anybody with the right brain would say something like that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just probably pondering what could and could not happen.”
• About getting the job, “It’s really flattering too, you know, to think that (`Idol’) even thought about me…when I got the call, I thought they were calling the wrong person. So I’m the new kid on the block, and I’m hoping everyone’s gonna go easy on me à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  and that I bring a lot to the table.”
• What is she looking for in an American Idol? “For me, I’m really looking for someone who is unique, who has a great style, an incredible stage presence and a great voice. I’m looking for the next big thing.”

More tidbits from the interview.

• Back in Season 2, Rapper-DJ Angie Martinez quit after 4 days as the 4th American Idol judge. She said she wasn’t comfortable criticizing aspiring artists.
• Some of Kara’s favorite Idols: Kelly Clarkson–loved her when she met her. And Brooke White.
• She plans to continue producing and writing songs
• Her personal “special” song is John Lennon’s “Imagine”.