Steven Tyler Reflects on American Idol: “They Wanted Me to Take the Piss Out of the Kids and I Don't Have That in Me”

Now that he’s officially done with American Idol and on to new things with long-time band Aerosmith, Steven Tyler’s had some time to reflect on his seasons judging the show — the good times and the bad.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Steven admitted that he both “loved… and hated” being an Idol judge for two seasons. “It was a great job, I sat next to J. Lo and I made a ton of money,” he explained. “It was a moment in life and it became larger than life.” But the sweet gig had its drawbacks, particularly when it came to balancing judging with his own projects. “It was just hard work: seven-hour days and then I went and did the album for eight hours after that.”

The hard work was reason enough to be on the fence about the gig, but Steven also says that he had trouble fitting into former Idol judge Simon Cowell’s shoes.

“The show's about kids and what you do to nurture their talent,” Steven said. “They wanted me to take the piss out of the kids and I don't have that in me. That's not what I'm about. That's more about that other guy. Not me.” Known more for his racy comments and unfiltered personality, he certainly didn’t gain a reputation for being acerbic to the contestants.

It’s still unknown who will be filling Steven’s shoes (and potentially Randy Jackson’s), but the rumored talks about Brad Paisley, Nick Jonas and Pharrell Williams are still up in the air.

Source: Rolling Stone

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