After plummeting ratings, producers of American Idol are taking a new approach. According to E! News, Jennifer Hudson has signed on as a judge and will serve as the first of three Idol alums to take to the panel on season 13.
Representing the UK’s finest talent, Emeli Sandé and Jessie J took to the stage on last night’s ‘American Idol’ Finale to perform with the finalists. Jennifer Hudson did so too, and it was a real power house fest.
Candice Glover! After auditioning for the THIRD time, she finally proved Simon Cowell wrong when he scathingly told her she wouldn’t amount to anything beyond a lounge singer.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez took to the stage on tonight’s ‘American Idol’ Finale to perform her RedOne-produced new single ‘Live It Up’ with Pitbull. This was their first live performance of the track and it was a little rusty.
The American Idol Finale tonight saw judge Mariah Carey perform a medley of her biggest hits spanning more than two decades. The performance was pre-recorded from the night before but it was the poor editing that caused the biggest upset.
After Mariah Carey dropped some serious shade on Nicki Minaj during last night’s American Idol episode, their heated exchange rolled on over to Twitter. It all started when Mariah was offering critique to Angie’s performance.
Jennifer Lopez maintains her silence regarding rumours that producers want her to replace long-term nemesis Mariah Carey on ‘American Idol’.
The singer was cornered about the issue during an interview with ‘Extra’, and the fact that she’s choosing not to confirm or deny is very telling. It’s clear there may have been some juicy ‘discussions’ behind the scenes.
Fox totally played themselves by trying to milk the bitter feud between Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj. They desperately tried to get ratings for their flagging talent show but it backfired in the worst way possible. Ratings for ‘American Idol’ appeared steady at first (16m), but during last weeks episodes, the singing competition received its poorest ratings EVER (12m) in the key demo since premiering in 2002. Maybe for a time it was working, but ratings have clearly dropped because people thought the pair would be fighting all the time. Instead, they just choose to ignore each other now. We clearly see tension (blatant eye rolls) but not enough action!
Folks also thought they would get bat-sh*t crazy Mariah but her critiques have been really safe (constructive but safe). Mariah represents EVERYTHING that American Idol embodied when it debuted 11 years ago – superstar quality and unmatched vocal talent. So it was only fitting that she rightfully accepted her place as a judge. My only regret is that she took on the role at a time when the show had become a sinking ship.
Last night was the season 12 premiere of NBC’s ‘American Idol’. The show was watched by 17.9 million viewers. Not even a well publicised feud between judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj could save ratings. The launch opened with a 6.0 rating among adults 18-49, and was down 19% from last January’s season 11 debut. Total viewers were also down by 19%. The show also encountered their lowest ratings for an in-season premiere. The news wasn’t all doom and gloom however, as it was the most watched show on television last night.
This is clearly a sign that viewers are so over talent shows, no matter WHO they put on the panel. When this type of show stops producing long-serving superstars (Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood) and winning a contract no longer guarantees success (Melanie Amaro), it really is time to pull the plug. You can check out some highlights from last night’s premiere after the jump.
Last night I was lucky enough to find myself at American Idol’s advanced world premiere screening event at AMC Hoffman Theaters in Alexandria, Virginia. It was an all-night event that included the screening of Season 12’s very first episode, followed by a live Q&A with the judges and host Ryan Seacrest.
Check out my full recap and review of the show after the jump and sound-off below!
