By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Still bitter much, Mariah Carey?

She recently told Australia radio that "American Idol" "was the worst experience of my life" when she was on the judge's panel in 2013 for the ill-begotten season 12 season.

Carey felt the producers deliberately pitted her "against" Nicki Minaj. Of course, I suspect both women chose to turn it into a competition though I wasn't there behind the scenes so it's hard for me to judge if one was more at fault than the other. If my memory serves me correct, Minaj was more overtly hostile while Carey exhibited passive-aggressive tendencies.

"I don’t think they had any intentions for us to have a good experience doing that show," she said.

Then Carey dissed the judging itself: "It’s so boring and so fake, I’m sorry. When I say it’s fake, I mean, I have to make up things to say about everybody. Half the time, the performances are good, you’ll just be like, ‘It was good.' "

That is the lamest excuse I've ever heard. Maybe Carey just lacked the ability to find creative ways to say a performance was good. On the show, she never stopped saying 150 words when 20 sufficed. I eventually just ignored her.

***

ajc.com

Credit: Rodney Ho

icon to expand image

Credit: Rodney Ho

Paula Abdul is excited to be a judge on "So You Think You Can Dance," reuniting with Nigel Lythgoe, a former executive producer of "American Idol" and creator and chief judge of "SYTCD." She debuts Monday night on Fox for the 11th season of the show.

"I'm enjoying immensely working with [Nigel] and loving the fact that

Jason Derulo

is part of the panel," Paula told reporters on a conference call last week. "Jason, I'm a huge fan of."

She took over for Mary Murphy after doing a stint on the Australian version of the show.

"I loved it so much," she said. "When I came back to the states, I was approached by Nigel to do the US Version, so for me it's a perfect fit, hand to glove, it's what I do and really happy to be a part of it. I love this show."

Abdul was a judge for "American Idol" for its first eight seasons but was always known as a better choreographer than singer.

The 11th season will feature the first split of dancers between "street dancers" and "stage dancers." Former SYTYCD dancers Twitch and Travis Wall will lead the two teams.

***

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 30: Academy¨ and GRAMMY¨ award-winning actress and musician and co-founder of the Julian D. King Gift Foundation and national co-chair of We Day, Jennifer Hudson walks the We Day Red Carpet at We Day Illinois 2015 at Allstate Arena on April 30, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jeff Schear/Getty Images for We Day).

Credit: Rodney Ho

icon to expand image

Credit: Rodney Ho

Jennifer Hudson is joining the cast of "Confirmation," the HBO film about the Clarence Thomas hearings in 1991 that is being shot in Atlanta.

Hudson will play a former Clarence Thomas co-worker. Kerry Washington ("Scandal") will play Anita Hill, who accused Thomas of sexual harassment. Wendell Pierce ("Treme") will play Thomas. Greg Kinnear will play Joe Biden, who led the Senate confirmation hearings.

The movie begins production in Atlanta later this month.

***

I was in New York City at LaGuardia Sunday night while Kelly Clarkson performed at 103.5 KTU's KTUphoria 2015 at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater on May 31, 2015 in Wantagh, New York.

Credit: Rodney Ho

icon to expand image

Credit: Rodney Ho

Kelly Clarkson did an interview with Rolling Stone and apparently, she has completed her six-album deal with RCA - finally. She was one of the few "Idol' singers that actually fulfilled her contract. She is now a free agent and appears free from having to create pop albums exclusively (which has been the case). She could do covers, an R&B album, a country album. We'll see. She comes to Aarons Amphitheatre Sept. 10.