Viewers could see some familiar faces return to Idol, this time on the other side of the judges’ table. Fox is considering bringing in past contestants as judges in an effort to boost ratings for the struggling show.
Vulture reports that producers are seriously considering filling one or more of the judges’ chairs with former Idol contestants. Fox is concerned about Idol‘s diminishing ratings, and hopes that maybe bringing back some past fan favorites will cause those same fans to tune back in to the show they once loved.
Sources close to the show say that season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson and season 3 contestant Jennifer Hudson have already been approached about it, with other names like season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert and season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken also under consideration. All of these contestants have gone on to successful post-Idol careers, and would serve as proof that win or lose, contestants can turn their time on the show into a career (Unlike Idol‘s main competitor, The Voice, which has failed to produce any successful winners.)
We’ve previously reported that Fox plans to toss out this season’s entire judges’ panel. Judge Randy Jackson announced earlier this month that this season would be his last, but fellow judges Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey, and Keith Urban have been met with mixed reviews this season. In hopes to win back frustrated viewers, Idol intends to make a lot of changes before season 13, including possibly replacing executive producer Nigel Lythgoe.
Since their time on Idol, contestants have gone on to have successful music careers, as well as film/television/Broadway acting careers. They’ve covered such varied professions as authors, spokespeople, missionaries, journalists, philanthropists, models, TV hosts, and songwriters, among other things. Together, past Idol contestants have won dozens of Grammys, an Oscar, and most recently, a mirror-ball trophy. Almost any Idol alumnus would serve as a great role model on the judges’ panel, but the question is: Would they want to press pause on their successful careers to return to the show where it all began?
The returning contestants would be able to provide a unique perspective for the show, having once been in that position themselves, knowing what’s going on behind the scenes, and the toll it takes on the contestants. Granted, the show has changed drastically since Clarkson’s season 1 win back in 2002, but they would still be able to understand going from a struggling musician to performing in front of millions of fans on national television every week.
There’s sure to be plenty of speculation on next season’s Idol judges in the coming months, but we’ll keep you updated as any new information comes to light.