Diplomacy, thy name is Ryan Seacrest. Of course, the "American Idol" host who visited TODAY on Tuesday to discuss the show and its new lineup of judges (vet Randy Jackson with newcomers Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban) was very sincere in what he revealed about the dynamics of that panel ... but he chose his words with care.
In light of rumors that new judges Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey were clashing, Seacrest noted, "Nicki and Mariah, two very different, strong, powerful, successful women on the panel. There are not too many dull moments between the two of them."
But, he added, "At the end of the day, we all hug and laugh and go home."
So was it just a PR stunt to leak rumors that the two weren't getting along? Matt Lauer wanted to know and Seacrest admitted, "It's not bad for the show if people are talking about the show, but it's not exactly true. They get along fine."
He admitted there's no one individual tough judge -- they're all "very honest," and "not putting through as many people as you would think."
As for the judge most likely to cry? That would be Urban, said Seacrest, who "has to sit between Nicki and Mariah."
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