Paula Abdul to judge X Factor?

Simon Cowell has hinted Paula Abdul could join the judging panel of the US version of 'The X Factor'.

The music mogul insisted he has still not made a decision as to who would help him select the winner of the TV talent show but admitted he is in "regular" contact with the singer, who he worked with on 'American Idol' until 2009.

He said: "I'm a massive fan of Paula. We've been in regular contact. I'm not going to say who we are going to confirm or not because the truth is we haven't made up our minds up yet. It comes down to who I think is interesting and the commitment and the expertise each person offers."

Simon, 51, quit 'American Idol' in order to launch 'The X Factor' in the US and he admits he has not watched the new season of his former show, though he believes it to be doing well without him.

He said in a conference call with reporters: "I haven't seen a full episode. I've seen three minutes of a recap. From what I've seen and from what I've heard, it all seems to be going well. What I was more concerned about the ratings falling off a cliff, and that the whole genre might be over. But people are still excited about these shows, whether 'Dancing With the Stars', which has gotten better over the years, 'America's Got Talent'. I think they've done a good job."

It was revealed earlier that children as young as 12 will be able to audition for the show - which has a $5 million recording contract for the winner - and Simon is confident they can handle the pressure of the competition.

He said: "We've started to see a trend with kids this age and what they can do. Times have changed. You have to make a case-by-case decision based on them as a person."