After American Idol’s previous disaster season, many fans are ready to put the past behind and are looking forward to the changes the show is bringing in 2014. In addition to a new format and producers, Idol made some big changes to the judging panel, which was largely to blame for the drop-off in ratings in 2013. There is only one new face on the judges panel, Harry Connick, Jr., plus Keith Urban is returning and Jennifer Lopez is coming back after taking a season off.
American Idol wrapped up the second round of Salt Lake City auditions on Friday, and so far things seem to be going great. There’s no doubt that Urban has to feel a sense of relief since he won’t likely be in the middle of any cat fights between Connick, Jr. and Lopez, as he endured with Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carrey.
The judging panel appeared on an episode of Ellen that aired Thursday, and the chemistry between the judges seemed very strong. No stink eyes, death threats or curse words were directed at anyone, which is a pretty big step up from 2013.
Lopez had nothing but good things to say for her co-judges, and the feeling seemed mutual. “And, this (pointing to Keith and Harry) is working really great,” Lopez said. “So yeah, we’re having a great time. At the end of the day, everything that’s meant to be happens.”
Your #idol judges in Salt Lake City! Who's counting down the days until American Idol XIII? pic.twitter.com/apvnsV7QmT
— American Idol (@AmericanIdol) October 3, 2013
What do you think of the new judges panel for Idol? Respond below.
The 13th season of American Idol will start on January 15. This will be the first season since the show began that the judging panel will be without Randy Jackson. The news that Jackson was leaving wasn’t a shock considering the Minaj-Carey-ratings situation, but it certainly took Idol to a new low.
Fortunately for fans of The Dawg, Idol announced in early September that Jackson is returning as Jimmy Iovine’s replacement for the in-house mentor. Whew, crisis avoided.
To shave a few minutes off of the 2.5 month wait to the American Idol season premiere, check out some of the worst auditions in Idol history.
WebProNews is an iEntry Publication