INSIDE EDITION has the latest on the American Idol premiere and audience reaction to new celebrity judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez.
The reviews are in for the revamped American Idol, and they're glowing!
Critics and fans seem to have instantly fallen in love with the two new judges, celebrities Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler.
"Season 10 and "American Idol" finally brought in a couple of pros," wrote Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times. "Tyler and Lopez are performers, time- and road-tested, […] [they] made the show more interesting than it has been in a while..."
The New York Post's Linda Stasi writes "Heck, last night's made-over "Idol" was so good, I may never go out again.."
Some missed nasty Simon Cowell, but others seemed unfazed. "Simon who?" said CNN.
Tyler has emerged as a fan favorite, with his wacky comments and his shameless flirting with several of the pretty contestants.
Jennifer Lopez is being called "the heart" of the panel. She showed off her nurturing side and at one point comforted a crying contestant.
Lopez had a hard time rejecting Idol wannabes.
INSIDE EDITION was with former Idol judge Paula Abdul behind the scenes of her new CBS show Live to Dance, and she was anxious to check out the competition.
"Steven Tyler and J-Lo not only are they fun, but they are seasoned veterans, they've experienced amazing success and it's going to be a whole different perspective," said Abdul.
So what did the rest of America think? 26 million viewers tuned in to watch Idol. While that seems like a huge number, it's down 12 percent from last season's premiere and their lowest number since 2002.
Abdul's show, which airs opposite Idol, had five million viewers, which she said she expected.
"You don't go up against American Idol, nobody does. American Idol is a monster of a successful show...I'll be watching, I'm a fan. There are these machines called DVRs that allow you to watch both and that's the biggest blessing," she said.
