LOS ANGELES — She couldn’t let Steven Tyler have all the headlines: Jennifer Lopez announced Friday that she, too, won’t be returning to “American Idol.”
Lopez, appearing on Ryan Seacrest’s syndicated morning radio program, said that after two years on Fox’s veteran singing competition show, “The time has come.”
“I really was dreading this phone call with you,” she told him. “I honestly feel like the time has come that I have to get back to doing the other things that I do that I’ve put kind of on hold because I love ‘Idol’ so much.”
“American Idol” has been TV’s most popular program for nearly a decade, but its ratings have declined. The “Idol” panel is down to one, original judge Randy Jackson, and there are reports that he may take a different role when the Fox show returns in January.
Tyler announced his departure Thursday.
Speculation about potential new panelists has focused on Mariah Carey, with former “Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert getting a shout-out from his fans. Los Angeles Times
