Andy DehnartAfter yesterday’s announcement that Ellen DeGeneres quit American Idol, reports say Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler are joining the judging panel and Kara DioGuardi’s contract hasn’t been renewed, so she’s effectively been fired. That means Randy Jackson will serve as the third judge and is the sole survivor. Wow.
Gossip Cop first reported “that offers have been made to Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.” And TMZ reported that Kara was fired and “the show will be going back to a three-judge format and assuming all deals are finalized, the judge’s panel will consist of Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.”
Deadline reported that Jennifer Lopez’s “manager Benny Medina (whom she once fired) orchestrated the meeting with the American Idol producers a month ago, and negotiations have been ongoing ever since. We’ve learned a deal was closed earlier this week under the utmost secrecy.” However, Variety reported that “Insiders told Variety late Thursday that no deal is actually in place just yet — and certain deal points might still stall [Lopez’s] hire on the show.”
The official announcement on all of this is expected Monday morning at the TV Critics’ press tour in L.A., where I am this week and next, so for live updates then–and today, for NBC, Bravo, Universal, and SyFy’s day–follow me on Twitter.