Looking back on the infamous moment some 14 years later, Paulini acknowledges that it's hard to imagine those comments flying today.
"I think it has changed a lot - there's no way anyone could do that today. People would just be outraged. There's no way," she says.
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"And anyway, they shouldn't be able to; these are often young kids standing up there being judged. We have so many problems with young girls who don't think they're skinny enough. There's so much pressure about this mould that you have to fit into - it's all crap."
Despite that tough moment in the spotlight, Paulini says she has no regrets about the show that kickstarted her career - but she'd have one simple piece of advice for anyone considering trying out for a TV singing contest today.
"Now that I watch these shows like X Factor and The Voice, I think people take themselves too seriously. The contestants go on there expecting so much and are so serious about the whole process.
"You're just setting yourself up for failure - if you don't get it, you think your whole world's over. It's really not!"
Paulini is set to make her musical theatre debut next month, following in the footsteps of Whitney Houston to star in The Bodyguard: The Musical.
Perhaps anticipating the inevitable comparisons to Whitney, The Bodyguard team have already released the musical's showstopper on social media: Paulini delivering a gorgeous, faithful take on Houston's biggest hit, I Will Always Love You.
