The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, New York

Scooching in between Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson sounds intimidating, if not a little scary. But Kara DioGuardi, the newly installed fourth judge on "American Idol," is confident she'll find her niche within the bickering, ratings-tested judges' panel where the line between love and hate is blurred with every critique.

"I'm just gonna speak to Simon the way I speak to everybody," DioGuardi told reporters during a teleconference Monday. "I'm just gonna have my opinion, be honest and I don't foresee any problems. I'm really excited about this, and up for the challenge."

The Grammy-nominated songwriter will make her debut when the eighth season of "Idol" premieres in January, the Fox network said Monday.