What is the relationship between Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul?

Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul are quite comfortable with each other, and Simon Cowell is interested in the new judge he has chosen.

People reports that Paula Abdul will be sitting next to Simon Cowell on The X Factor. Why? “It's like owning a dog and the dog will only sit next to its master,” Cowell tells People. “It's comfortable. If she's away from me, she pines. She's unhappy. She has to sit next to me."

Cowell thinks that Abdul is interested in him, and he expresses his own interest as well. “I like loopy,” Cowell says about the judge’s personality. “I can be a bit loopy at times, and I can hang out with her socially because she gets on with my friends. We have a similar sense of humor and I tell her there are no rules on this show, so don’t worry about how you want to behave."

It seems that Cowell not only likes Abdul, but he also wants the show to run quite smoothly for her. USA Today reports that the show will start on September 21, and the finale will be on December 22, right before Christmas.