Paula Abdul jokes Simon Cowell left her 'permanently damaged'

Paula Abdul has joked her American Idol co-judge Simon Cowell left her "permanently damaged".

The former American Idol judge had trouble understanding Simon's accent, alluding to the lighthearted on-camera spats she and her co-judge engaged in during her stint on the show.

Paula, 62, appeared as a judge on the long-running singing competition from 2002 until 2009 and quipped she had struggled during her tenure alongside Simon and music exec Randy Jackson.

"Being the only woman on the panel, I had to overcome the guy on the left of me. Starts with a 'S' and ends with 'imon'," Paula told Fox News Digital.

"And the left side of my brain is permanently damaged with a British accent."

Fortunately, Paulla added, Simon's playful taunts and hard-to-decipher accent were, "no big deal because at least I had Randy to the right of me."

The Straight Up singer also gushed about current judge Carrie Underwood, 42, who began her career as a contestant on the show.

"Carrie has an unbelievable advantage, having come from her humble beginning of being on the show," Paula said.

"She was such a magnificent artist, as a contestant, and she's gone on to have the most stellar career. She comes back, and she's giving back as well. She's doing a great job."