By Shirley Halperin and Fred Bronson, The Hollywood Reporter
What do the Idols like about X Factor and what do they hate? What were their expectations for the new Fox show and what do they think of the judges they know personally, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul? The Hollywood Reporter polled a number of former finalists to see what they thought of the newest talent competition series on the block and discovered that Idols have a wide range of opinions. Here’s what Didi had to say:
THR: What do you like about X Factor U.S.?
Didi: “I like that the judges are working with the kids and mentoring them, unlike on Idol. I think that is a great setup and it has to be more appealing for the contestants to know that there is someone gunning for you on the judging panel. It also makes for less confusion in a time where there is so much that’s new and unlike anything you’ve ever done before.”
THR: Your thoughts on the judges, especially Simon and Paula and what it’s like to see them on a different show…
Benami: “I like seeing Simon and Paula on a show together again, I think the on- camera chemistry they have is really something, and it seems to have only grown after their time on Idol. I love Paula, so I’m glad that she gets to do this again because she’s a sweetheart and is always positive, supportive, and really good for this sort of show. And I think Simon tends to be a lot nicer (as all of the judges are) off-camera than on.”
Read about what the other idol alums have to say here: ‘X Factor’: What the ‘American Idol’ Alums Think of Simon Cowell’s New Show .