Last modified: Wednesday, March 1, 2006 1:08 AM EST Brown wows judges BY LAUREN CARTER / SUN CHRONICLE STAFF If the judges' reaction was any indication, it's a safe bet local `` American Idol'' contestant Ayla Brown will be `` safe'' from elimination this week. Celebrity judges Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell spent most of the 90-minute performance episode Tuesday night seemingly unimpressed by what they had heard, but all three judges gushed over Brown's performance of Celine Dion's `` I Want You to Need Me.'' Tuesday's episode was the second performance segment for women contestants. Abdul said that for the second week in a row she was pleasantly surprised at Brown's performance, citing her conviction and a song that fit her vocal range. `` I think you want this really bad,'' Abdul said. `` Its amazing. I'm really enjoying how this is turning out for you '85 You were great last week, even better this week, for me.'' Jackson agreed, saying Brown's song choice proves she knows her limitations. `` It actually came off as a nice kind of package. I actually liked it, man, I liked it,'' Jackson said. Even Cowell seemed genuinely impressed by Brown's performance, though he did end his comments on a Cowellesque note, saying Brown's strength -- her pursuit of perfection -- may also be her downfall. `` I think you are working probably harder than anyone I've seen on the show so far,'' he said. But Cowell said Brown perfects herself to such an extent that she still comes off a bit `` mechanical'' and lacks a degree of `` rawness,'' which could hurt her in the end. `` You are going to do better than you could have hoped,'' he said. `` I still wonder if it's going to be good enough, though.'' As for what the television audience thought, the results of voting will be aired on the Fox Network Thursday night starting at 8 p.m. (Channels 25 and 64 locally, when the two men and two women receiving the least number of votes will be cut from the show. If Brown makes it to the Top 16, she'll have just one more round to clear before becoming one of the coveted Top 12 contestants to begin performing on March 14. The Top 12 will be announced on March 9. Brown, 17, is the daughter of state Sen. Scott Brown, R-Wrentham, and WCVB-TV newscaster Gail Huff.