Shakeup for American Idol Judging Panel

LOS ANGELES: Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion are among the names being bandied about as new additions to the American Idol judging panel, following news that both Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez will not return for the new season in January.

On Thursday of last week, FOX announced that Tyler would be leaving the show after serving as a judge on seasons 10 and 11. Tyler said he wanted to focus on being the frontman of the band Aerosmith, which is gearing up for a new album release this November. Mike Darnell, the president of alternative entertainment at FOX, said of Tyler: “He’s been a terrific judge, a true friend and great mentor to everyone involved with the show, and we know he’ll continue to be a huge inspiration to Idol hopefuls for years to come. We are very sad that Steven has chosen to focus more on his music, but we always knew when we hired a rock ’n’ roll legend, he would go back to the music. We all wish him all the best and would love to have him back on the show anytime.”

FremantleMedia CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz added, “A true music icon, he not only brought rock ’n’ roll to the show, but also his exceptional taste in spotting and nurturing undiscovered talent. We will sincerely miss his poetic phrases, his remarkable creativity and his unique spirit. We’re sad about his departure from the show, but understand his decision to return to music full-time and hope he’ll be back to grace the American Idol stage in seasons to come.”

On Friday, news broke that Jennifer Lopez would also be leaving the show. She told Idol host Ryan Seacrest in a radio interview: "I just don’t feel like I can be there every single day all the time like I have been for the past two years…. 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 like Idol so much."

There has been no official comment from FOX about Lopez’s statements. American Idol is still the top-rated show in the U.S., despite some ratings erosion over the last few years.