Kara DioGuardi leaves Idol
KARA DIOGUARDI BECOMES THE LATEST JUDGE TO LEAVE AMERICAN IDOL, PopEater.com
LOS ANGELES – Fans can’t be blamed for thinking this was already common knowledge, but in fact, the departure of Kara DioGuardi from ‘American Idol’ has been merely a presumption all summer — until now. On the Friday evening before Labor Day, Fox quietly issued a press release confirming what everyone has suspected for weeks: the 39-year-old singer-songwriter-producer will not return as a judge on ‘Idol.’
According to EW.com, Fox’s announcement included this statement from DioGuardi: “I felt like I won the lottery when I joined ‘American Idol’ two years ago, but I feel like now is the best time to leave ‘Idol’….It has truly been an amazing experience. I am grateful to FOX, FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment, as well as the cast, crew and contestants, for all they have given to me. I look forward to my next challenge, and want to thank everyone who has supported me. All the best to everyone on Season 10!”
The Fox hit series had been smashing ratings records for several years with the same three judges when producers made the widely criticized decision to expand the panel to four judges for season 8, adding DioGuardi — as fans and contestants uttered in unison, “Who?” Reviews on her contribution to the show were consistently mixed, but she soldiered on (holding steady as Paula Abdul was replaced by Ellen DeGeneres for season 9), always striving to provide a voice of credibility stemming from her years working in the pop music recording industry.
“Kara is one of the world’s best songwriters,” said Simon Fuller, creator and exec producer of ‘Idol,’ whose statement was included in the Fox press release. “She has been passionate and committed….I will miss having her on the show, but I look forward to working with her in music for many years to come.”
Simon Cowell departed ‘Idol’ to great fanfare in May. And just over a month ago, DeGeneres announced in late July that her one-season experiment as a judge would not be repeated. Certainly, the slate is cleared now for the news fans are truly eager to hear: the announcement of which rumored stars will officially debut on the new ‘Idol’ panel (alleged to include only one original judge, Randy Jackson) when the show returns in January. Will it be a Jackson-J.Lo-Steven Tyler trifecta, after all? Place your final bets now!