Mariah Carey Officially One of American Idol’s Newest Judges

It seems like American Idol is taking competition with X Factor quite seriously.

FOX President Kevin Reilly announced to the reporters at the TV Critics Association press tour that Mariah Carey closed the deal with the network to be the newest judge on the next season of American Idol.

Mariah herself spoke to the press people via speakerphone, sharing:

I am so excited to be joining Idol. I wish I could have been there myself to tell you. It all kind of just happened real quickly. I can’t wait to get started in a couple months…I will see you in January!

Reilly adds:

 It’s the biggest recording artist than any of these shows have ever had. It’s an artist many of these contestants have tried to emulate. [The deal] only concluded only hours ago. Not being the only game in town, we need to keep things fresh.

Although the president is happy to share the news about AI’s newest judge, he refused to comment on whether original judge Randy Jackson will return, but he pointed out:

Randy has been working with Mariah for a long, long time and is in fact her co-manager. Randy was very instrumental in this deal.

When asked about J.Lo’s status on the show, he put all the buzzing rumors to rest by saying that there is no chance for the singer/actress to return on the show’s following seasons.

 I think I can say that’s 100 percent that Jennifer won’t be coming back to the show.

He also adds that the decision was a “mutual agreement” between FOX, Steven, and Jennifer.

One judge seat down, two to go. Who do you think will be the next American Idol … judge?

Photo: Wikipedia

Fox Reportedly on the Hunt for New Judges for American Idol’s 12th Season

It looks like American Idol is on a hunting spree for the newest Idol and for new judges to qualify them.

Along with Adam Lambert, Idol’s bosses are also considering Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Fergie, Katy Perry, and Will.I.Am to be the newest judges on the show according to some insiders. So, you might be wondering how many judges will there be this time, and who is most likely to snag a spot. One of the insiders spills:

“No one has signed any contracts yet, and producers are currently putting out feelers and setting up meetings to see who they can get. We won’t know if Randy [Jackson] and Steven [Tyler] are returning until they see who else is on board.”

Fox representatives refused to comment on the issue. The Idol bosses reportedly still want J.Lo back; however, the actress/singer hinted previously that she doesn’t want to return. And while they do love Randy and Steven, Fox would also like to have some fresh (and younger) judges, allegedly to compete with The X Factor, which recently snagged Britney Spears and Demi Lovato as judges.

Despite the absence of judges, auditions for the show’s 12th season are underway with producers calling the shots. With only three more cities to go, time is running out for Fox to decide on the latest and final list of judges!

Photos: Wikipedia

Jennifer Lopez Wants Out of American Idol

Looks like J.Lo’s moving on… and moving out.

The two-year American Idol judge says there are other things that she still wants to do rather than to return for another season of the hit Fox series. In an interview, the single mom of two confirmed previous speculations that she is to quit the show.

“Maybe it’s time for me to go. It’s been on my mind a lot, as you can imagine. And now it’s like, do we continue on this journey? I’ve loved it so much. I enjoy the show so much…It’s a tough decision either way. At the end of the day, whichever way, it’s a heartbreaking decision if, um, I’m going to have to go.”

The singer adds that she had to put other projects on hold for Idol, and that the show consumed too much of her time. Judging the competition also gave her no time to do the other things that she loves, like acting.

While sources say that Steven Tyler is also set to leave the show, there is no news regarding long-time judge Randy Jackson’s tenure as judge.

Photo: Wikipedia

No More Steven Tyler on Next American Idol Season

One of the most popular and controversial judges on the past two seasons of American Idol has decided to leave the show.

According to reports, Steven Tyler has decided to leave American Idol to focus on his singing career as the lead vocalist of the iconic rock band Aerosmith. In a statement, Tyler said he loved being a judge of the hit reality singing competition, but he just missess singing rock songs, which is why he decided to quit the show.

Tyler said being a judge for the show has been a blast, and he is full of good memories. He said now is the time for him to return to his first love as a singer and to become a rocker again.

It was earlier reported by the media that, aside from Tyler, another judge, American singer/actress Jennifer Lopez, is also set to quit American IdolLopez was previously quoted by the media as saying that she wants to do other things this year besides be a judge for the show.

The countless fans of American Idol will surely miss Tyler during the 12th season this year.

Photo: Wikipedia