Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez leave American Idol, while Randy Jackson contemplates whether he should leave or not.
Now that Steven Tyler is saying goodby, Jennifer Lopez has one and a half feet out the door, and Randy Jackson is mulling over terminating himself, It appears American Idol may have to bring in a complete replacement kit of judges.
Tyler announced Thursday, July 12, 2012 that he will not be returning as a judge. Instead the rocker will become the full-time lead singer of Aerosmith once again.
“I’ve decided it’s time for me to let go of my mistress ‘American Idol’ before she boils my rabbit,” Tyler added, in a reference to Adrian Lyne’s thriller, “Fatal Attraction.” “I got two fists in the air, and I’m kicking the door open with my band.”
Then, right on the heels of Tyler’s announcement, co-judge Jennifer Lopez confirmed she will be emptying her American Idol judging seat also. The singer, dancer, and actress told Idol host, Ryan Seacrest that she wants to focus on the many other things that she does.
“I honestly feel that the time has come that I have to get back to doing the other things that I do that I put kind of on hold because I love ‘Idol’ so much,” said Lopez.
Rumors have surfaced that Randy Jackson, the only original American Idol judge remaining, has considered abandoning his chair on the judge’s panel for a mentoring role backstage. There is also speculation that Fox producers are close to striking a deal with Mariah Carey to replace Randy on the next season of American Idol.
Other celebrities being considered for judging seats include Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Adam Lambert, Katy Perry, Nicky Minaj and Fergie.
American Idol has ran for 11 seasons on Fox. The original judging panel consisted of record producer Randy Jackson, pop singer and choreographer Paula Abdul and music mogul Simon Cowell.
The show was the highest rated show ever in the history of television, holding the top spot until seeing a slip in the past two seasons. A shakeup may be just what American Idol needs to get back on top.
