Mariah Carey Connection

Simon Cowell may think Mariah Carey is too “sweet” for the rigors of “American Idol” judging, but that’s not Ryan Seacrest’s take on it at all.

“I actually called her last night and I said, ‘So welcome to the family,’” the “Idol” host, who is assisting NBC with its Olympic coverage, told TODAY’s Matt Lauer in London Thursday. “I said, ‘What are you going to be like on the show? She said, ‘You know how I am: I’m very honest. I say what I’m thinking.’ I said, ‘Great. You’ll fit right in.’”

Carey will be taking the seat of departed Jennifer Lopez, and Seacrest said, “We’re sad to see her go.” But the big question now is who will take over the chair once occupied so flamboyantly by Steven Tyler.

“I’ve heard rumors of Brad Paisley, I’ve heard rumors of Pink, I’ve heard rumors about all kinds of people. And the way that it works is we read about the rumors and about an hour before it’s confirmed I get a call saying, ‘Guess who’s on the show.’”

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Source: Today – MSNBC