“American Idol” producers have finally confirmed who will be on the new 2012 judges panel.
The FOX singing competition show announced that rapper Nicki Minaj, country crooner Keith Urban, R&B diva Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson will finalize the panel.
The Fox network officially made the confirmation just hours before the first round of auditions for next season was due to begin in New York this past Sunday.
Arriving at Jazz at Lincoln Center, where the auditions would take place, Urban hailed “Idol” for its “great history of producing real stars.”
As an “Idol” judge, he said he plans to be “authentic” but not cruel.
“I did similar shows when I was very young in Australia,” he recalled, “and I was sort of crucified by one judge. So I don’t know that I’ll ever be THAT guy.”
Minaj said during the auditions she’ll be looking for “a superstar,” which, she explained, is “something that can’t be defined in words.”
Jackson called this pair of hires a “fresh, fresh, fresh ‘Idol’ one-two!”
Minaj, he said, “brings a whole other cool vibe we’ve never had on the show, and Keith Urban? My God, he’s unbelievably talented!”
When Carey was asked whether she had eagerly awaited news of who would join her as judges, she cracked that, no, she hadn’t, “because all I really care about is me,” but quickly added, “Only kidding.”
Turning serious, she said she didn’t know what kind of judge she would be.
“Am I the mean one? Am I the nice one? … It’s not about me, me, me, it’s about them (the contestants) and what I can bring to them to help guide them in the right direction,” said Carey.
Even though we longer watch the show, it should be very interesting this year with Nicki Minaj on board.
Photo Credit: JB Lacroix/WireImage; Steve Granitz/WireImage; Frederick Breedon IV/Getty
