Long time American Idol judge Randy Jackson will be leaving the show at the end of this season, he personally confirmed today.
“”Yo! Yo! Yo! To put all of the speculation to the rest, after 12 years of judging on American Idol I have decided it is time to leave after this season,” he said in a statement to E! News. “I am very proud of how we forever changed television and the music industry. It’s been a life changing opportunity but I am looking forward to focusing on my company Dream Merchant 21 and other business ventures.”
Though we’ve grown a bit tired of seeing Jackson on the show, we have to admit it’s a true end of an era for American Idol. Jackson has been on board the show since season 1 when he, Simon Cowell, and Paula Abdul judged together.
American Idol host Ryan Seacrest has also been on board since the start, and all signs so far indicate he will be back for at least another season.
Recent reports have suggested that Fox is looking to replace the entire judges panel for season 13.
The American Idol shake-up comes as the show continues to dip in the ratings. Season 12 has been its lowest rated season so far.
American Idol’s season wraps up next week, and now that Jackson has announced his departure, we expect the finale will include a tribute to his time on the show.
Check out our recap of last night’s American Idol in our previous article.
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