Lucky for Jennifer Lopez, new costar Steven Tyler is already in love with her.
"I'm watching Back Up Plan and I fell so in love with Jennifer because I watched her eyes and how she interacted with the actor and they really put it across that they were falling in love," the surprisingly sentimental Aerosmith frontman told Ryan Seacrest Wednesday during his, Lopez and Randy Jackson's first interview together as officially confirmed American Idol judges.
"I thought...that I would maybe someday soon be looking into her eyes...not quite like that," Tyler added. "But as most things go in my life, watch out what you dream for and they may come true, and here I am sitting next to her and it's just phenomenal."
Yeah, doesn't sound like anything we ever heard Simon Cowell say about Paula Abdul.
As for Lopez, when she first met Tyler, she was surprised by "how soulful he is."
"I know he's an amazing rock God, I get that," the actress and pop star said. "I know that. But to sit and speak with him, the depth of his soul really moved me."
And Randy Jackson thinks both of them are pretty a'ight.
"What's cool, though, is you guys will definitely be nuturing," said the always eloquent veteran of nine seasons, "and you're coming from a real place because you could say, 'Hey listen, when I was at this stage and I was trying to get it together, here's what I did.'
"And you're huge successes, both of you, so the kids have to really listen this time," he added. "Because I felt sometimes, the past couple seasons, we'd say stuff and they'd look at us like deer in the headlights."
(That may have just been Ellen DeGeneres' reflection in the contestants' eyes.)
But as for the moments of real truth on the show, how do newbies Lopez and Tyler plan to go about the art of passing judgment?
"I think inately you can't help but want to give [the contestants] tough love in a sense," Lopez said. "I dont think I can ever be cruel to another artist because I am an artist, and I know what its like to put yourself out there, be in front of people, and say 'hey do you like me?'"
So she plans to judge the contestants with "with a lot of love and caring and a lot of nurturing and honesty."
Meanwhile, Tyler is "going to love them to death."
"So I can say, 'you're going to Hollywood,' but also you gotta tell them 'don't hate me for what I say, don't get mad, get better," explained the 62-year-old rocker, the surprise front-runner to be the Paula replacement we never had.
"I will send them home with a broken heart. I'm going to be honest and truthful and open as best I can—and tongue and cheek."
We're thinking offering up a scarf as a parting gift would be a nice touch.
The 10th season of American Idol premieres Jan. 12, 2011.
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We can't wait to add more outfits to Jennifer Lopez's Fashion Spotlight gallery.