Mariah Carey Joining American Idol

Pop singer Mariah Carey will join American Idol next season as a judge on the sinking music competition series.

“I am so excited to be joining ‘American Idol,’” Carey said during the Television Critics Association on Monday. “This kind of all just happened really quickly.”

A judge that can actually sing? (Sorry, Jennifer Lopez) What a concept for a singing show.

As for Lopez, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe is holding out hope that J-Lo could return for Season 13, per The Associated Press:

Earlier Monday, veteran “Idol” executive producer Nigel Lythgoe said there’s a slender possibility that Jennifer Lopez might return. His reasoning: Since she told “Idol” host Ryan Seacrest she was 99 percent sure she was leaving, that means there’s a 1 percent chance she won’t, Lythgoe said Monday.

That should sum up how desperate the folks over at AI are for another competent judge.