Two singers, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, will join Randy Jackson on the judges panel of “American Idol” this winter, effectively remaking the show, Fox confirmed Wednesday.
The three judges have a Herculean task ahead: to replace Simon Cowell and revive an aging franchise. “Idol,” while still America’s most watched entertainment show by far, has seen its audience slowly dissipate in recent seasons.
Lopez and Tyler were introduced at an auditions event in Los Angeles. (They are pictured at left with the bespectacled Jackson.)
Along with the two new judges, Fox is adding what it calls an “in-house mentor,” Jimmy Iovine, chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records.
That means the guest mentors who showed up in prior seasons — Harry Connick Jr., Usher, Miley Cyrus — are out. The New York Times
