Country singer Keith Urban is reportedly joining the 12th season of American Idol as a judge. Keith Urban, who is the husband of actress Nicole Kidman, is closed to sealing the deal with Idol producers according to several reports.
Keith Urban will be joining diva Mariah Carey and rapper Nicki Minaj at the judges' table of the hit FOX reality singing competition if deals have been ironed out for the latter. Nicki Minaj's PEPSI endorsement might hinder the deal as American Idol is sponsored by rival Coke. Mariah Carey is the only new judge which has been officially announced, though.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Keith Urban will be earning about $3-4 million for taking the third judges' seat on Idol while Nicki Minaj will be paid with $8 million. Mariah Carey will be receiving a whooping $18 million payday, reports claimed.
After the exit of previous judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez to focus on their singing careers, two seats on the American Idol judging panel have been vacated. The producers, according to sources wanted an all-new lineup so original judge Randy Jackson might be demoted to a mentoring role just like Jimmy Iovine.
There are no confirmations yet on the number of judges seating on the panel but the possibility of a 4th judge joining Idol is at large. Rumor has it that the producers are considering Enrique Iglesias and Nick Jonas for the role.
What can you say about the new American Idol judges line-up for Season 12? Do you think these judges will incorporate a fresh vibe on Idol to save the show from a big drop on ratings?
