Steven Tyler On Judging ‘American Idol’: “I Loved It And Hated It”

Now that Steven Tyler has departed his judges’ seat on American Idol, the 64-year-old rocker is free to tell us how he really felt about his two-year stint on the reality competition. “[It’s] not my cup of tea,” Tyler admitted to The Hollywood Reporter. “I loved it and hated it. It was a great job. I sat next to J. Lo and I made a ton of money. It was a moment in life and it became larger than life.”

Well, what did you expect him to say? That he discovered that reality show judging was his new calling, and he’s heartbroken to go back to the insanely successful rock band that made him a household name? Money and J.Lo is as good a reason as any to say yes to a job.

But it wasn’t just money and close proximity to Jennifer Lopez that convinced him to take the gig. Tyler also wanted something to pass the time while tensions with his bandmates died down. “It was something to do while the storm blew by, to be honest,” he said.

One of the sour aspects of judging American Idol he never warmed up to was the producers’ desire for him to dole out harsh Cowell-like critiques to the contestants. “The show’s about kids and what you do to nurture their talent. They wanted me to take the piss out of the kids and I don’t have that in me,” he said. “That’s not what I’m about.”

The hectic schedule of being a judge also took a toll on him, as he would work all day and record with Aerosmith all night. “It was just hard work: seven-hour days and then I went and did the [Aerosmith] album for eight hours after that,” explains Tyler.

As much as we’ll miss creepy Uncle Stevie’s flirtatious moments with young female contestants and his non-sequitur exclamations, we can’t wait to see what Mariah Carey is like on the judges’ panel. $18 million is sure to buy you a season’s worth of diva-esque sass.

[Via THR]