Former 'American Idol' star Simon Cowell tells Piers Morgan that the current season of the show, featuring new judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, is better than his last season on the show.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Cowell tells the new CNN night talk-show host, "I personally think it is a better show than last year. I genuinely do. I think what they’ve got is that it feels to me that they’ve got their energy back, that they’re confident, that they’re competitive."

He also admitted that Ellen DeGeneres didn't quite fit in on the show, and that his own performance last season was undoubtedly affected by the "weird atmosphere" caused by the announcement of his pending departure prior to the beginning of filming.

As we reported earlier in the week, Cowell is considering big names such as Mariah Carey, George Michael and his old 'Idol' buddy Paula Abdul for his new singing competition program, 'X Factor,' which is set to debut on FOX this fall.

Cowell's full appearance on Morgan's show will air on Monday, March 14. You can watch a preview clip from the show below, and stay tuned to PopCrush for all the news on 'X Factor' and 'American Idol.'

Watch a preview of Simon Cowell's interview with Piers Morgan

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