Fox is poised to make major announcements for American Idol any day now, including a new role for Randy Jackson and possibly Harry Connick Jr. joining as a new judge.
Last week, it was reported that Interscope Geffen A&M chairman Jimmy Iovine was leaving the long-running singing competition, leaving the show without an industry insider to mentor the singers. Rather than look for someone unfamiliar to the show, Deadline reported that Jackson, who was a judge for the show’s first 12 seasons, will be taking that role. While Fox has still yet to confirm this, a source for E! News said on Thursday that the network is poised to make an official announcement.
Jackson could also have a bigger role than what Iovine had. “His role will be more involved than Jimmy's,” E!’s source said.
E! also reported on Wednesday that Harry Connick Jr. is in talks to join the show as its third judge. Jennifer Lopez has already signed on and Keith Urban is coming back. The Hollywood Reporter’s source said that Connick is very close to signing the contract.
Music producer Dr. Luke had been linked to the show, but since he’s signed to Sony, there was a conflict of interest that forced him to drop out. (Idol winners sign with Sony’s rival, Universal Music.)
While it’s not clear if Fox will announce the new judge and new mentor at the same time, Ryan Seacrest promised that big news is coming.
Got some @AmericanIdol news for you coming very soon...
— Ryan Seacrest (@RyanSeacrest) August 30, 2013
image: Fox