Simon Cowell said that he hasn’t seen a full episode of "American Idol" since he left the program, reports EW.com’s Inside TV blog.

"I’ve seen three minutes of a recap. From what I’ve seen and from what I’ve heard, it all seems to be going well. What I was more concerned about [was] the ratings falling off a cliff, and that the whole genre might be over," Cowell said, the story notes.

Cowell also said that "The X Factor" hasn’t yet decided who will be a judge on the panel, although he added he’s been in regular contact with Paula Abdul, the story says.

He also defended the decision he’s made about "The X Factor" to let children as young as 12 audition, saying that "“We’ve started to see a trend with kids this age and what they can do."

Cowell made his remarks during a conference call with reporters about his upcoming "X Factor" on Fox.

According to the Associated Press, the talent show, which will debut in the fall, is offering a $5 million record deal for the winner, who will receive $1 million a year for five years.