*Paula Abdul says she's thrilled to have a fourth judge added to the table on "American Idol" next season, despite Internet reports that claimed she didn't approve.
In fact, Abdul takes credit for launching the career of songwriter Kara Dioguardi, who will join her along with judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson on the Fox competition series.
In an interview with "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM show, Abdul said she met Kara outside a restaurant in New York when Kara was a Billboard magazine employee with songwriting dreams. After meeting her that day, Paula convinced her to drop everything and move to L.A. with her.
Says Paula: "[Kara] was my roommate! And I took her all around the world with me and introduced her to wonderful people...She stayed in Sweden and wrote with these people and got started living her dream."
When asked where Dioguardi would sit at the judges table, Paula said: "I don't know. Hopefully next to me." But in case that proves distracting, Paula continues, "we'll probably be separated by Simon or something."