FOX Plotted to Replace Mariah Carey

American Idol, FOX Plotted to Replace Mariah Carey with Jennifer Lopez?

Jennifer Lopez could have returned to “American Idol” mid-season and replaced Mariah Carey — if producers and FOXexecutives had their way, claims a new report.

The show reportedly started plotting to make the major judging switch mid-season, after falling ratings and criticism of Carey’s contributions (or lack thereof) to the panel.

The plan was allegedly scrapped when Carey’s legal team threatened to sue if she was replaced.

Producers are still negotiating for Lopez to appear on the season finale, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The magazine further claims that the entire panel could be replaced for next season.

A rep for FOX said the network has “no comment” on the allegations, while reps for Carey and Lopez have not yet responded to Gossip Cop’s requests for comment.

It’s worth noting, however, that “Idol” executive producer Nigel Lythgoe told THR, “I have not been included in any conversation regarding replacing Mariah with Jen this season.”

Lopez left the series last year, after serving as a judge for two seasons.

There are just four contestants left on this season, with the finale slated to air in May.

'Idol' considered dumping Mariah Carey

'Idol' considered dumping Mariah Carey -- REPORT

Disappointing ratings for American Idol reportedly prompted the producers to consider a plan that would involve bringing back Jennifer Lopez as a replacement for Mariah Carey.

A story in THR says that Carey threatened to sue if such a plan was hatched, so the powers-that-be scuttled the idea to welcome back fan fave Jenny on the Block. There are apparently still hopes to have J. Lo return for Idol’s finale, which likely prompted this statement from a Fox spokesperson: ”This is just another ridiculous Idol judge rumor, likely started by talks of Jennifer performing on the finale.”

For what it’s worth, Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe told the trade publication that “I have not been included in any conversation regarding replacing Mariah with Jen this season.”

Fox’s aging talent show has taken a beating in the ratings lately. Last week, in fact, the show was clobbered by repeats of The Big Bang Theory on CBS, which delivered bigger adult demo ratings. Meanwhile, the new judging panel that also includes Keith Urban lacks electricity, save for the occasional bursts of crazy talk from Nicki Minaj. And it probably doesn’t help matters that, across town, NBC has clearly succeeded in updating the judging panel onThe Voice with the appealing duo of Shakira and Usher.

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon pull out all the stops

They know how to spoil each other! Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon pull out all the stops for week of birthday and Easter celebrations

It was her birthday this week, Easter weekend, and one month until the couple's fifth wedding anniversary.
Loved-up couple Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon certainly have a lot to celebrate, and on Sunday, the 43-year-old singer couldn't help but tell her Twitter and Instagram followers how much her husband spoils her.
Fans were dished out photos of happily the married couple in Easter costumes, as well as Nick's birthday gifts to his wife: a grand piano, and a beautifully decorated cake.

'Classic' love! Mariah Carey Instagrammed a photo of the loved-up pair playing the stunning 'fully restored Steinway piano from 1902', a gift from doting husband Nick Cannon

Mariah made it clear on Wednesday while judging American Idol that she is not a fan of acknowledging her birthday - rather, she calls them 'anniversaries'.
And it seems her doting husband Nick Cannon had taken this into account when he was making plans to spoil her.
Instead of the traditional 'Happy Birthday', the 32-year-old actor and presenter adorned Mariah's cake with the words: 'Happy 327 Anniversary M.C'.
'327', or 3-27, represents March 27th, the date the singer was born in 1970, and perhaps the butterfly is a reference to Mariah's 1997 hit single, Butterfly.

Nick knows how it's done! Mariah's husband spoiled her with a butterfly cake that said happy 'anniversary' rather than birthday, since Mariah apparently can't stand the word 'birthday'

But the loving husband and father of their two children did not stop there, as Mariah informed her Instagram followers.
Nick's gift to the Grammy Award-winning singer was a stunning black grand piano, which he gifted to her in a room full of balloons.
'Nick's 327 anniversary gift..fully restored Steinway piano from 1902! Classic.' - Mariah gushed on Instagram as she uploaded a photo of the piano.
The happy couple sat at the piano for the photo, wearing adorable crown and tiara headpieces.
But the silliness did not stop there for this lovestruck pair in the lead-up to their fifth wedding anniversary.

More anniversary love! Nick and Mariah appeared to be in a love-bubble as they danced the night away in an exotic location in the early hours of Sunday morning

Just hours later on Sunday, the star tweeted a photo of herself and Nick dressed up in playful Easter costumes.
She told her Twitter followers: 'Happy Easter dahhlings...I finally caught the Easter bunny'
With a glass of champagne, Mariah posed while leaning against her comedian husband in a sexy pink tube dress and fluffy bunny ears.
Stuck beneath his wife, Nick played the role of the 'caught' Easter bunny with giant teeth and a goofy expression.

Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj wearing matching dresses

'American Idol': Why are Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj wearing matching dresses?

One of the most notable aspects of "American Idol" Season 12 has been the feud and ongoing tension between judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj. But, in two recent "Idol" episodes, the women seemed to get along just fine in one key way: Their dresses matched. Why and how does something like this happen?

First of all, one thing needs to be made very clear. These dresses aren't just a little similar -- they're almost identical in color. We're not talking about a basic black either. One coordinated fashion choice gave us a super-bright red-orange while the other was a lovely (still bright) shade of aquamarine.

Assuming that this is not just a straight-up coincidence, here are a few theories about what's going on with Mariah and Nicki's dresses.

It's part of the rivalry.
These competitive and incompatible women might have decided to turn their feud into a competition over who can wear the same color better. Why not? They argue about everything else.

The producers want to encourage the idea of peace between the judges.
While there's no such thing as bad publicity, the Nicki-Mariah feud came awfully close for "American Idol." For the most part, their disagreements have mostly been uncomfortable to watch. The producers of the show might therefore want to portray a semblance of unity. Similar dresses will do that.

Costume people don't talk to each other.
If this is all an accident, then the respective costumers for Ms. Carey and Ms. Minaj are most definitely not communicating.

It's aesthetically pleasing.
Randy Jackson and Keith Urban tend to wear similar (although rarely identical) colors. Someone might have decided that matching dresses would just look nice with that.

Someone is messing with the lady judges.
This may be a bit far-fetched, but what if there was a disgruntled costumer -- or two -- that wanted to make Nicki and/or Mariah look silly. Making sure that the ladies' costumes were similar could do that, especially if this isn't being enjoyed by the judges.

Could there be another explanation for these color similarities? Is it all coincidence? We may simply have to guess in the weeks ahead.

Nicki Minaj Joins Mariah Carey

Nicki Minaj Joins Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson and Keith Urban on American Idol

“American Idol” has announced that Nicki Minaj has officially been added to the roster of new judges on “American Idol.”

Wasting no time getting started, the judges hosted their first round of auditions in New York City, amidst the usual frenzy and pandemonium associated with “American Idol.”

It was just last week that rumors swirled of a possible rift with Mariah Carey and the YMCMB first lady, after comments reportedly made by Carey.

For the first season, Fox will reportedly pay Nicki Minaj $12 million.

Carey will make over $18 million dollars for joining the quartet of judges, formerly a trio, with Keith Urban and Randy Jackson rounding out the cast.

“Nicki’s an unbelievably captivating international phenomenon who has made an indelible mark on rap and pop. And Keith is … one of the biggest stars in country music and I know that our fans and contestants will fall in love with him,” Fox reality programming chief Mike Darnell said in a statement.

During the 2011-12 season, ”American Idol” was named as the leading entertainment show and No. 2 overall, just behind NBC’s top-rated “Sunday Night Football.”

In January 2013, Ryan Seacrest will continue as host of the Fox show that is now in its 12th season.

“American Idol” has spawned the careers of Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson, Ruben Studdard, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Jordin Sparks, and many others.

Mariah Carey wants Lenny Kravitz on Idol

Mariah Carey is reportedly keen for her friend Lenny Kravitz to be a judge alongside her on 'American Idol'.

The 'Fantasy' hitmaker believes her close friend would be a perfect addition to the panel because of his talent and knowledge of the music industry.
A source told HollywoodLife.com: "Mariah would love to have her dear friend Lenny Kravitz sit next to her on the 'American Idol' judge panel. She thinks he would be the perfect choice because he is extremely talented and knows music inside and out."
Earlier this week, it was reported that Nicki Minaj is likely to join the judging panel - a move which Mariah is said to be unhappy about because she doesn't want the contest to become a "freak show".
The source continued: "Nicki on the other hand isn't established enough to qualify as a judge.
"Mariah wants a panel of bright, inspirational and constructive judges. Not some freak show! Mariah thinks Nicki will just be a distraction and it will all be about her and her outrageous behaviour. Mariah will not be happy if Nicki joins the panel and she has let the producers know just how she feels!"
Meanwhile, L.A. Reid - a judge on The US 'X Factor' - has revealed Mariah signed up for the rival show on his advice.
He said: "[Mariah and I] had a great conversation about it and I advised her that she should do it. I think it's great for her."
The 'American Idol' judging panel has yet to be determined following the departures of Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. The show's only remaining original judge Randy Jackson is expected to stay with the programme but is likely to move to a mentoring role.
A host of stars have been linked with judging roles, including Nick Jonas and Kanye West.

 

 

Haley Reinhart Thinks Mariah Carey Is 'The Best Choice' For American Idol

Haley Reinhart Thinks Mariah Carey Is 'The Best Choice' For American Idol

Now that Mariah Carey has signed on for a role as Judge on the upcoming season of American Idol, well wishers have continued to congratulate Carey and FOX for their decision to hire the singer.
Former American Idol finalist Haley Reinhart who impressed the judges on the tenth season of the show has spoken highly of Carey by telling MTV News: "I think it's a great choice, and I don't think they could have done much better than that.
"She's a huge diva with a huge, beautiful, amazing voice. I don't think that there's anybody who could give better critiques to people who are trying to be aspiring singers, so I think they did really good."
Despite her gushing sentiments, Reinhart jokingly added she was glad Carey had not been a judge during her time on the show, confessing: "I think it would be a little more pressure. So I'm glad she wasn't there, but it would have been very cool to meet her."
The rumour mill continues to churn with speculation over the final two judges that have yet to be announced, Nick Jonas, Pharrell Williams and Charlie Sheen are just some of the names being bandied around . Jonas had recently confirmed reports he’d been talks with American Idol bosses while Sheen talked up the idea with great enthusiasm!