If reports are correct, it's a clean sweep. Although Randy Jackson confirmed on Thursday that he will leave "American Idol" after a dozen years, the fate of the other three judges is unknown, at least officially. Unofficially, reports are that "Idol" will dump all four judges at the end of the current season.
That would mean that, in addition to Jackson, Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey and Keith Urban will be exiting.
Jackson is the lone surviving original judge, from the panel that included Paula Abdul and series creator Simon Cowell. He said:
To put all of the speculation to rest, after 12 years of judging on American Idol I have decided it is time to leave after this season.
I am very proud of how we forever changed television and the music industry. It's been a life-changing opportunity but I am looking forward to focusing on my company, Dream Merchant 21, and other business ventures.
The news came mere hours after it was announced that Carey was dropping Jackson, who was her longtime business manager. No other judges have yet confirmed they are exiting.
It is unclear if the events are related. It is also not clear if Jackson is leaving of his own accord, or was fired.
In addition to the hosts, longtime executive producer Nigel Lythgoe is reported to be getting the boot as well. The series' ratings have plummeted, and the report says that Fox will attempt to revamp it to better compete with newer reality shows, such as NBC’s "The Voice." The show's last episode, last Thursday, only drew 11 million viewers, its worst ratings result ever.
In addition, Fox is reportedly planning to shelve dated tribute theme nights.
It's been reported that the network was trying to get Jennifer Lopez to return, but that is not happening, according to the newest report. Mega-contracts will be out, as well, as there will be "No more big checks for divas," a source told The Wrap. This season, Carey was signed for a reported $18 million for one year, while Minaj snagged $12 million. Earlier, Lopez made $15 million.
While Fox could just cancel "Idol," the series still generates a huge amount of revenue for the network, with Kantar Media saying it brought in $836.4 million in ad revenue in 2013. In addition, the network has no immediate replacement in the works.
