"Nicki and Mariah, two very different, strong, powerful successful women on the panel -- there are not too many dull moments between the two of them. But at the end of the day, we all hug and laugh and go home and get ready for another day," Idol host Ryan Seacrest said Tuesday morning on NBC's Today.
Last week, Idol officially debuted its new judge roster comprising Carey, Minaj, Keith Urban and Randy Jackson, who was rumored to be moving into a mentor role after 11 seasons at the table (originally with Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul).
"I guess there was some talk about where he'd be depending on who had made up that panel," Seacrest said. "He is now back on that panel. Of course, I couldn't imagine doing that show without Randy Jackson."
(As for a potential beef between Jackson and Urban, Seacrest joked: "Those two will not share a mirror.")
Auditions kicked off Sunday in New York. Other audition cities include Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, N.C., San Antonio, Baton Rouge, La., and Oklahoma City.
