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EXCLUSIVE: I have learned that Mariah Carey is finalizing a deal to join Fox’s American Idol as a new judge. I hear Carey would command a salary of more than $17 million for next season, which would set a new record for talent on a reality series, eclipsing the paycheck of Idol‘s Jennifer Lopez.
Carey had been rumored as a potential new judge on the veteran Fox reality series, which is overhauling its panel coming off a season that saw ratings declines in a crowded marketplace and failed to land a best reality-competition Emmy nomination for the first time in the show’s history. Fox announced the departure of Steven Tyler, while fellow judge Lopez stated publicly that she would leave too.
Related: Fox Focus On New ‘Idol’ Judges After JLo Blows Off Best Gig Of Her Life
I hear Fox moved quickly to secure Carey, who was previously courted for the network’s other singing competition, Simon Cowell’s The X Factor, as Idol has to set its taped auditions.
American Idol was the first major reality series to bring star power to its judging panel with the hire of JLo two years ago. NBC’s The Voice then landed Christina Aguilera, while Fox’s X Factor brought in Britney Spears. Idol, which for years had the singing competition market for itself, now has to share the space with The Voice and X Factor.
Related: Fox Upfront Will Introduce Demi Lovato And Britney Spears As New ‘X Factor’ Judges
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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Sorry but she’s not worthy that kind of money. $15 million at best. I’d love to see some country folk on the panel. I think Dolly Parton would be fabulous.
Really? Cuz she’s recognized as an incredible talent. See, unlike many others, Mariah can actually sing…and sing great! Isn’t she the highest selling female vocalist of all time? I think so.
Dumb comment. The show is still a success. Not what it used to be, but still one of the most popular shows. And she’s a singer (unlike J Lo). So, you say 15 at best? What’s 2 more million?
I say $10 million is good considering Paula got only $2 million.
She’s not any worse than JLo. One over-the-hill diva for another. At least she can sing (but she can’t dance worth a crap).
Who says you have to dance to be a good singer? Mariah doesn’t need to dance – she’s a SINGER not a dancer. Mariah has more talent in her little toe than J-lo!!!!
You need to know how to dance just stay there and sing is boring a big show is what people want not just a person that sings in one spot.
She is not worth the money. They need to get some behind-the-scenes people involved in the show who have a history of developing successful talent.
Problem is average person (audience) doesn’t know the “behind the scenes people.” They could care less. So Idol has to go after a big name. Ridiculous, but AI with Kim Kardashian as a judge would draw more viewers than a top level music biz executive.
Do not give them any ideas.
mariah carey mrs. cannon is in two words REAL TALENT.
Once Simon left, the show was done. Put a fork in it.
Except the ratings actually went up for season 10, which didn’t feature Simon Cowell.
They fell off a cliff this year due to X Factor blowing FOX’s talent competition load.
Idol worked because it was a once-a-year thing, sort of like the Super Bowl of music. Loses that special feeling when you have another nearly identical show on the same network with a bigger prize.
I am done with this show. Mariah???? Really they couldn’t do any better? Oh well, I can find something else to watch now. Like my Criminal Minds or something.
There is NOBODY better than Mariah. She has had more hits than anyone else, sold more records than any other female artist, AND SHE CAN ACTUALLY SING!!!!!!
I don’t want Mariah to do the show, because she is better than that, but there certainly isn’t anyone better than her!!!!
I hear for the first episode she will do a jump wearing water skis over a tank full of sharks into her judging chair.
I would disagree, she is worth that much money. Shes been mainstream and popular for like 20 years and is the best selling female artist of all time. Plus idol needs an A-list singer/artist to judge to keep up wit the x factor and the voice, if you guys have notice american idol is more about the judges than the contestants, they benefit from it more
For Gods sake. She’s not worth the money. another aging diva .Just cancel the show and move on
Very disappointed! Mariah is way too good to be doing this sinking show! AI sucks, and she should know better than to associate herself with it! I blame her manager, the same Randy Jackson of AI. Sadly, she’s gonna regret this decision. How is she gonna promote her upcoming album when she has to do this show? She normally does a lot of overseas promotions! This show will help somewhat stateside, but she’s a worldwide talent! Ugh, so disappointed.
Finally a sensible comment on Mariah’s talent. She is amazing and always was, up there with Whitney and Celine Dion in singing ability and bests them both in range. I’m hoping she won’t be as sappy as the judges have been lately, and also hope she will give honest critiques on the contestants’ abilities and performances instead of gushing over everyone.
I think hiring Mariah is an okay decision by Idol producers. But in addition to her, they need younger and more “with it” judges. They should look at Adam Lambert, Miranda Lambert, Jimmy Iovine (who is the only one on the show who tells it like it is every week), Bruno Mars,etc. etc. etc.
They should look at the tapes from when various singers sat next to Jimmy Iovine and how they did. They need someone who can be honest like Simon but not as cruel as Simon was. Having JLo and Tyler judging the past 2 seasons by making inane comments and giving over the top compliments such as “You are the best singer who has ever been on Idol” or “You showed you want it more than the other contestants” contributed nothing. Idol sure didn’t get much for their 20 plus million paid to both of them.
called it!
this is a good choice. she’s expensive but you have to compete with christina aguilera and britney spears. AI can afford it too. There are way too many singing competition shows now that the talent pool is so diluted and the winners of these shows never seem to be that good anyway. At least American Idol attracts the better talent because of their status as the first popular singing show. Most people would rather win American Idol than the Voice.
Bring in P. Diddy now. He trumps LA Reid and Randy Jackson. Dolly Parton is a good choice for the nice judge and she’s so f-ing like-able, way more than Paula Abdul and her career is fantastic. Plus she’s country! The south is such a strong demographic for AI.
People would watch P Diddy, Mariah Carey and Dolly Parton judge. You need Mariah Carey to be kinda mean too. In her normal mean way. Let her get drunk too. The crazier she seems, the better!
I like the idea of Mariah being matched up with a country superstar and a pop/R&B/hip-hop mogul, but I’d replace Diddy with will.i.am.
Go Mariah!
If Mariah wants to do it….let her do it!
She has more than enough of the qualifications to judge talent since she is a tremendous talent herself.
Its much better having her…then a an overpaid media moron like Howard Stern.
Why they let Stern join is beyond me.
If you don’t like Stern, don’t watch the show. I love having Stern on there.
If FOX is smart, they just pull the plug on this crapfest as ratings won’t get any better with her aboard. They’re trying to catch lightning in a bottle and it won’t work with this hire.
I’ve never seen the show and would watch only if Mariah Carey wore a skin-tight dress. Her Rubenesque figure is a rarity today. Also, for me to watch, M.C. would have to sing at least one song each episode.
If you don’t like the show don’t watch it. I enjoy the show and it’s rating haven’t dropped anymore than TV in general. It is still the top of the ratings.
This is just window-dressing: Lopez and Carey are interchangeable. Unless they improve the quality of contestants, AI will continue to struggle with audiences.
Dont get me wrong, I love Mariah Carey, but she is not worth that much money. It’s honestly just time for American Idol to pull the plug. 12 years is an amazing run. Time to let it go.
Mariah is great. I will start watching the show again if this is true.
This news is BORING! I have a feeling she will be as awful as her husband is on that terrible ‘Talent’ show. Great, so I get to hear tell wannabe music stars how much she loves them, and ‘keep shining bright superstar’ and ‘you are so special’ and so on. Just the same garbage.
I’m not a fan of country music, but I think Dolly is fabulous! I think she might be too nice for the show, though.
Who’s Mariah Carey? Ohh right, she’s that “singer” from the 90′s that Virgin Records paid $10 MILLION NOT TO SING. What is FOX thinking? I will post this as many times as I need, you can take it down all you want.
Yes, that 90s singer with the #1 single of the last decade. Which, AFAIK, is not the 90s.
Why the quotes? She can actually sing. She has a 5-octave range.
And she has logged a few nchart toppers during the 2000′s too, including the record-breaking We Belong Together, her 17th #1 out of 18. That was after the Virgin fiasco and only the Beatles have done better.
Beyonce, Jay Z, and Dolly…now that would be worth watching!
I heart Mariah!
Simon Cowell made considerably more than $17 million in his later years as an Idol judge…so no, it’s not setting a new record, and no, that record didn’t belong to J-Lo
I’m sorry to hear that Mariahs singing career is no longer paying the bills but I’m glad she was able to find satisfactory employment.
Another reason to NOT watch American Idol.
how depressing when Steven Tyler announced he was out- an actual singer/musician unlike bronzed manufactured JLO…the only authority she has is on presenting the illusion that her opinion matters. Mariah’s voice is iconic and will live. love it.
Mariah Carey? Z-z-z-z-z-z