In a press release issued on July 29th 2010, FOX Broadcasting Company has announced that popular daytime talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres will not return to American Idol for a second season. Producers of the program have chosen singer and actress Jennifer Lopez to take her spot as an Idol judge. They are, however, still looking for a suitable replacement to British judge Simon Cowell.
Why Ellen DeGeneres Decided to Quit American Idol
According to the official press release from FOX, Ellen DeGeneres decided to quit the hit reality TV show because the show "didn’t feel like the right fit for (her)." Sources contacted by the always well-informed Hollywood reporter Nikki Finke, however, tend to tell a different story. Rumors of conflicts between Ellen and Simon Cowell have now surfaced. This, along with the fact that Ellen has no musical background whatsoever, has led American Idol to lose its second judge this year.
Popular British judge Simon Cowell announced months ago that he will not be returning to the popular franchise next season. He will instead bring his other popular reality franchise, X-Factor, to the US. Several possible replacements for the toughest judge on the problem have been discussed in the past few months, amongst which are Howard Stern, Justin Timberlake and Sir Elton John. Negotiations are reportedly still going on between the British pop singer and Idol producers.
Jennifer Lopez Announced as New American Idol Judge
Since Ellen had been criticized in the press due to her lack of musical knowledge, producers of the show had to find someone with a tangible experience in that domain, as well as a strong character to boot. Luckily for them, Jennifer Lopez seemed like a perfect choice. And her recent box-office flop, The Back-up Plan, along with the fact that she had recently been released of her contract by record label Sony Music, helped seal the deal. The exposure gained by appearing weekly on what is still one of the highest rated TV shows on American television could help J. Lo rebuild her career.
Despite her recent career woes, it is clear that Jennifer Lopez has a strong musical background and that she is therefore more qualified at judging the musical merits of contestants than Ellen DeGeneres. Even though she may lack the humor and the general easy-going, positive attitude of the talk-show host, she may be win over audiences by her personality, not unlike former Idol judge Paula Abdul.
Nicolas Henrion - Nicolas Henrion started his writing career for the now defunct Geocities website, back in the nineties. As a Community Leader, he was in ...
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