Randy Jackson has admitted that he misses Simon Cowell on the panel of American idol.

The hit Fox talent show will return to TV screens later this month and Jackson admits that while it has been weird to do the show without his old pal for the first time, the new panel has a “different kind of energy”.

Cowell left the show last year in order to work on his new US X Factor series. Ellen DeGeneres also stepped down as did Kara DioGuardi, leaving Randy as the only original judge remaining. He will be joined for season ten by Aerosmith star Steven Tyler and singer and actress Jennifer Lopez.

Speaking about the new lineup the 54 year old told Entertainment Weekly:

“Simon is our friend for life. I don’t know if Steven knows him much, but Jennifer definitely knows him. We’ve all hung out together.”

“So, listen, we definitely miss him, but it’s a different kind of vibe. It’s a different kind of energy now. And I think in season 10 the show actually really needed it.”

Speaking about Cowell further, he added: “Look, he’s irreplaceable. It’s not about replacing him or any of the others: Paula [Abdul], Ellen [DeGeneres], Kara [DioGuardi], anybody else. People have been saying to us, ‘Who’s mean?’ We’ve all traded off on that because I think you have to always give people the truth, no matter what.”

On how he, Tyler and Lopez work together Jackson continued:

“We’re always leaning over to each other and saying, ‘Oh my God, I think she’s good’. ‘Oof, I don’t get it’. ‘You don’t like it?’ I mean, not in a way where it becomes disrespectful to [the contestant's] moment, but we discuss things,” she said. “We just have a totally different style than any of the past judging tables.”