For someone who turned down an offer to judge "American Idol" contestants because she didn't want to crush dreams, imagine Patti LaBelle's anxiety before having to nix hopefuls at her new gig on NBC's "Clash of the Choirs."

LaBelle is one of five veteran singers tasked with assembling a choir in their respective hometowns and grooming the singers to compete against the other four groups over four consecutive nights, beginning Dec. 17.

For LaBelle, the hardest part of the show was getting rid of those who can't sing. It's the reason she decided not to take the "American Idol" gig that eventually went to Paula Abdul.

"I said no because I didn't want to be someone giving bad news by saying you didn't make it," LaBelle tells Newsweek in its current Dec. 17 issue.

She does, however, offer them words of encouragement. "I did tell them, because Patti LaBelle said no, it doesn't mean it's the end. Jennifer Hudson was told no, and she has an Oscar."

Working in Philadelphia for "Clash of the Choirs," LaBelle tells Associate Editor Ramin Setoodeh that she is happy being in the cold Northeast.

"I love snow. I love rain. I love dark days. I don't like sun. I don't like water or sand," she says adding that she likes wearing her coats. "I don't want PETA to get mad at me, but I love chinchilla. It's so soft. I love cashmere. They get mad at a little girl like me. But you know I work for it. When they start buying me coats is when I start listening to them."

LaBelle also talks about her love for hot sauces and tells Setoodeh she has even lost purses to hot sauce spills.

"Do you know the Louis Vuitton beige bag with the white lining? I got to the city [Philadelphia] and hot sauce spilled in the bottom. Ghetto Patti and her Ghetto Louis Vuitton white bag with hot sauce."

LaBelle has her own line of hot sauces, relishes, jalapeno dip and is planning on branching out.

"I'm coming out with Patti pots, Patti pans, Patti sheets. I'm going to be the black Martha Stewart."