'Idol's' Simon Cowell Talks About Ellen, Paula, and Who He Wants to Replace Him

'American Idol's' cantankerous judge, Simon Cowell, spoke to reporters last night, and he touched on everything from whether or not there's a feud between him and Ellen, how he feels about Paula's departure, and who he thinks should replace him on 'Idol' next season (Hint: not Howard Stern).

Ever since Ellen DeGeneres joined the show during Hollywood week, there have been rumblings that the pair hasn't exactly been getting along. While Simon denies any sort of feud, if you read between the lines, it's clear that they won't be having slumber parties and painting each other's toenails any time soon. Cowell told reporters, "I wouldn't say that we didn't get on well. I don't know Ellen that well. It was a difficult position for her, because she started work on the Hollywood week, which is a quite difficult show to do."

While he may not have anything personal against Ellen, it's clear that he wishes Paula was still sitting beside him at the judges' table. Despite their their on-air bickering, it's obvious that Cowell is quite fond of Abdul, saying, "Paula is my friend. Amazing, even though we used to argue a lot, she was somebody I just got very close to over the years. We used to hang out before the show. She always made me laugh, I thought she was funny. It was just like not having your friend on the show anymore. I do miss her." It kind of sounds like we may be seeing Paula on 'The X-Factor,' doesn't it?

As this is Cowell's last season on 'American Idol' before he delves into the U.S. version of 'The X-Factor,' talk inevitably turned to his replacement. Cowell firmly believes that the person who replaces him should definitely have music industry experience. So while he shoots down some of the more outlandish names that have been bandied about, including Madonna, he does come up with an unexpected choice: Perez Hilton.

Cowell thinks that he controversial gossip blogger would do a good job, because Hilton "would be funny. He's got a good taste in music; he's a personality. That could work." I couldn't see Perez Hilton actually being offered the job, but he would certainly garner a lot of attention if he did. However, with the attention would also come a great deal of controversy. Is that really what 'Idol' needs right now?