Paula AbdulAmerican Idol judge Paula Abdul has said she wants to start a family over the next couple of years.

The 45 year old told USA Today recently that having children is “the next step in my life. Definitely within the next two years.”

“I thought by now I’d have three grown children.”

She added that she would “consider adopting” if she could not have the children herself because of her age: “With modern medicine, people are having kids in their 40s and even up until their late 40s. In their 50s, they’re having their second child.”

But if she does try to have them herself, she’s not yet certain who the dad will be - she’s been dating restauranteur JT Torregiani for four months: “He’s a positive force that has come into my life right now. [But] where it leads, who knows?”

“My chunky dog, Tulip, is in love with him [though]. He pays so much attention to her that she thinks she’s the queen.”