American Idol producers have officially announced who will sit at the judges’ table during the upcoming 13th season of the hit-maker show — and you can plan on seeing some familiar faces.
Hello, old friends! When you turn on American Idol next year you’ll see three familiar faces, despite lots of shakeups and drama at the judges’ table in recent years.
Fox officially announced the Season 13 American Idol judges on Tuesday morning, and you can count on seeing former judge Jennifer Lopez return to the table alongside frequent guest singer Harry Connick Jr. The pair will join returning judge Keith Urban — but not music producer Dr. Luke as rumored.
“I have always been a huge fan of American Idol and really enjoyed my time as a mentor on the show,” Connick said in a statement. “And I am honored that they’ve asked me to be a judge this season. As an entertainer, I am truly excited to bring my perspective to American Idol and to help emerging performers to find their way.”
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Lopez announced the news with a short-but-sweet tweet.
#IDOL2014TheRemix …see ya soon
— jlo (@JLo) September 3, 2013
The move to return to a three-judge format after a year with four judges signals a back-to-basics approach for the struggling talent show — and it has one more traditional trick up its sleeve. Original judge Randy Jackson is coming back! This time, the industry vet will act as an in-house mentor to contestants, replacing Jimmy Iovine.
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Fox entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly said in a statement that the changes on American Idol will bring the show to the next level.
“American Idol has always been about discovering the next singing superstar, and next season our judging panel will deliver a most impressive combination of talent, wisdom and personality to do just that: Jennifer Lopez, the triple-threat global superstar who loves Idol and whom Idol fans love; Harry Connick Jr., a bona fide musical genius and fantastic Idol mentor whose honesty and expertise can help turn these hopefuls into stars; (and) Keith Urban, a multi-Grammy-winning artist who was such a positive force on the show last season.”
Season 13 of American Idol will premiere in January 2014.
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