TORONTO -- The race is on to find the country's next singing sensation and it seems the Canadian Idol judges are up to the task, ready with an armload of opinions on what it takes to be a superstar. Judges Sass Jordan, Farley Flex, Jake Gold and Zack Werner traded barbs at a news conference yesterday, marking the final day of pre-show judging on the cross-Canada search for Idols.

Anyone who's watched the American version of the series knows that much of the fun comes from watching the judges, especially acid-tongued Simon Cowell, reduce the wannabe popstars to tears over horrid renditions of songs.

When a reporter asked whether the Canadian judges would try to emulate the cheeky banter of their American counterparts Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, Flex pointed to Werner and said, "He's Paula."

Werner replied: "We're actually basing ourselves on the German series. I'm Klaus."

Executive producer John Brunton said any effort to copy the American series would be a mistake.

"We started by wanting to find people that we thought would have the most amount of integrity and really be able to do a great job. The credibility of our show is everything," Brunton said. "We actually found four Simons. They're all frank and honest and at times controversial."

Gold, the manager best known for shepherding the career of the Tragically Hip, said the judges feel they're perfect for the job.

"We weren't cast as actors. We were cast as people in the music industry that do this for a living."

Based on a video clip shown to journalists, the Canadian show has avoided the stereotypical trappings of bland Canadian politeness and captured the energy and fun of the U.S. series.

Jordan, a Juno Award-winning singer, smiles a lot and waves her arms enthusiastically when she hears a good singer. Flex, considered a pioneer of the Canadian urban music scene, thanks largely to his management of rapper Maestro, is the gentle giant. Look for candid comments from Gold, as well as a whole lot of "I'm not feeling it."

But a brash Werner, a former entertainment lawyer who runs his own artist management company, appears poised to be the judge everyone will love to hate; the onetime lead singer of Thick as Thieves yelled at one contestant to "Just sing!"

Canadian Idol, airing Monday nights on CTV starting June 9, held a countrywide search for contestants.