Entertainment Tonight

When "American Idol" returns for its eighth season, there will be changes … and ET knows just what those tweaks will be!

One of the biggest changes this season was reported by ET earlier this year: the addition of Kara DioGuardio as a fourth judge.

But now, executive producer Ken Warwick reveals in a phone conversation about the new season that the fourth judge has changed the dynamic -- and sometimes Simon Cowell is on the losing end of the deal!

"This time the girls, if they thought somebody should go through, they could gang up on Simon," Ken says. "In some cases, when we got to Hollywood, those kids were absolutely great."

Another change is going to be the addition of an additional Hollywood night and one less night focusing on the auditions.

"We did that because the [Hollywood] shows were always so good and there was so much emotion there," Ken says. That said, he does admit that there will still be plenty of air time for those who only think they can sing. "I would have a pretty boring show on my hands and it wouldn't be honest," he says of their inclusion.

The show is also returning to the "wild card" finalists, who will be picked by the four judges, and is seen by Ken as a way of fixing things if something goes horrendously awry in the voting process.

"American Idol" returns on Tuesday, January 13 at 8 p.m. on FOX.