Simon's girls

Now that Simon Cowell doesn't have Paula Abdul to push around anymore, he's filled the void with Kara DioGuardi.

This week, during the first night of finals competition, Simon just couldn't help himself as he started needling Kara, taking potshots at her commentary and trying to get a rise out of her -- just like he used to do with his old sparring partner Abdul.

'IDOL' TAKES RATINGS DIP

The telling moment Tuesday was when he interrupted DioGuardi as she complained that Andrew Garcia's performance of "Gimme Shelter" didn't capture the Rolling Stones' original war theme.

CLASS CLOWN: Simon has been picking on Kara (above) this year the way he used to pick on Paula in past seasons.

"What was he supposed to do?" Cowell asked. "You want him to come on stage with a tank or something?"

Audience members inside "Idol's" Kodak Theatre reported that, during a commercial break, a miffed DioGuardi jabbed at Cowell's chest with her fingers and whispered into his ear before marching backstage. They appeared to whisper and make up during the second half of the show, though.

The teasing and tension between the two "American Idol" judges has been simmering for a while.

"Oh, he's naughty, naughty, naughty!" DioGuardi said of Cowell during a recent interview with Women's Health. "At times, we disagree, but I dish it right back at him, because I'm from New York and I'm feisty."

Sounds like a repeat of the love-hate relationship between Cowell and Abdul that stewed for eight seasons.

Last season, Abdul memorably gave Cowell a coloring book and box of crayons to mock his childish behavior. By the end of the night, Cowell scrawled a fake mustache on Abdul using the crayons.