Less nasty, more nice in revamped "American Idol"

The exit of caustic British judge Simon Cowell, and the addition of singer Jennifer Lopez and rock star Steven Tyler has shaken up the dynamics of the top-rated TV singing contest, and placed the emphasis squarely on encouraging original talent, they said.

Gone are the old "nasty and nice" roles once seen from judges, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe told TV journalists.

"It's about giving the right information to (the contestants) so they continue on their journey as an artist. It is a lot more about searching for that eventual winner, than stopping people getting there.

"In the past, we may have been accused of putting barriers up against them or making glib remarks, rather than trying to help them through the whole process," Lythgoe said.