Nigel Lythgoe still hopes for Jennifer Lopez return
Nigel Lythgoe still thinks there is a chance that Jennifer Lopez will return to judge American Idol alongside Mariah Carey next season.
Even if there is a 1% chance, it's still a chance. FOX president Kevin Reilly said however that 100%, Jennifer Lopez will not return to the show.
From WENN:
AMERICAN IDOL executive producer NIGEL LYTHGOE has not given up hope JENNIFER LOPEZ will return to the show - because he's far from convinced she is ready to give up her seat at the judges' table.
When the singer/actress confirmed to host Ryan Seacrest that she had decided to leave her post, she only had wonderful things to say about her two seasons on the show, admitting, "I could keep doing Idol for the rest of my life, but that would be giving up a bunch of other things. I just feel like we had an amazing run."
And Lythgoe admits he took her speech with a shred of hope.
During a Television Critics Association press tour event on Monday (23Jul12), Lythgoe sat with fellow producers to discuss the upcoming season, and revealed that he still thinks Lopez might come back for the show's 12th season.
He stated, "She said 99 per cent that she was leaving, which is a strange thing to say; you’re either leaving or you’re not. I’m hoping that one per cent means she’s not leaving us."
Later, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he added, "I still don't know why you'd say, ‘I’m 99 per cent.’ I don't know if it's a negotiating tactic, I truly don’t."
However, at another panel, FOX president Kevin Reilly commented, "I think I can say it's 100% that Jennifer Lopez won't be back to the show."
Mariah Carey has since been announced as Tyler's replacement and now Lythgoe thinks the judges' panel shake-up might just be what Idol needs to attract more viewers.
He states, "I would really like to see the judges change every year."
One change producers have made for the upcoming season is a new way for hopefuls to tryout, with the American Idol Small Town Audition Bus Tour. The bus will make stops in 10 towns across the country, giving singers who were not able to make it to one of the large audition cities a chance to impress the judges.
In addition, friends and family members of budding artists will be able to nominate a potential contestant by uploading a video to the American Idol website.
