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As American Idol’s sixth winner, what does Jordin Sparks think of the show’s newly appointed judges, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj? “When they got announced, I was really excited,” Sparks told InStyle.com when we caught up with her at last night’s City of Hope gala in Los Angeles honoring  of Halston designer Ben Malka. “I am one of Mariah’s biggest fans ever, and I was very excited to see that she was going to be a part of it.” As for Nicki, the decision “makes sense,” Sparks added. “There are [contestants] who rap, and that’s a talent, too,” she told us. “I know I can’t do it!” Sparks hopes to one day sit behind the table, though not right away. “I got asked [to judge], and I said no initially, because [as a former contestant] I don’t know if I could be that critical of people who are trying so hard,” she said. “Now I’m kind of looking at it like I think I could do it. We’ll see if there’s an offer someday!”

Plus, see AI contestants then and now.

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— Erica Helwick