One of American Idol’s final three contestants is going home tonight, but they’re not the only ones who should be concerned about their position on the show. With ratings lower than ever in Season 12, Fox is reportedly planning on replacing newbie judges Mariah Carey, Keith Urban and Nicki Minaj as well as veteran judge Randy Jackson.
“They feel they’ve lost their core audience and they want it back,” an insider said of the show, adding that the goal is to attract viewers from a younger demographic. The source also revealed that the network isn’t looking for major divas who they’ll have to write out big checks to next season, like Mariah and former judge Jennifer Lopez.
Unfortunately, working on the judging panel for a show like this is time-consuming for already busy celebrities, so Fox better still be prepared to write a few 0’s on the end of their checks.
Similarly, The X-Factor is looking for two replacement judges for Britney Spears and L.A. Reid, though Simon Cowell and Demi Lovato are already set to return for Season Three.
Who is your ideal American Idol judge?!