American Idol needs a game changer. While Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj generated plenty of buzz during their tension-fueled stint as judges on the Fox singing competition, their presence did little to improve ratings. In fact, the series closed out its twelfth season to its lowest finale numbers yet. Talk of some major changes, which includes a possible full overhaul at the judges table led to the reveal that Randy Jackson - the last of the original Idol judges - was leaving the show. There's been no official confirmation one way or the other for Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj or Keith Urban, however the latest report is that Idol may fill the judges panel with former contestants. That would be a game changer.
Vulture posted the report that Idol might feature a panel of former contestants as judges for Season 13, going on to say that their sources say Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson have already been approached, and "Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken are also under discussion." The site is careful to note that there's been no official confirmation for any of this. It's possible this is just something Fox, FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment are toying with, pending availability of desired contestants. Assuming the report is true, the names Clarkson and Hudson indicate that they're going straight to the top of the list of Idol winners - and by "winners," I mean those contestants whose participation on the series was just the start of their success.
Bringing in former contestants could be a great way to generate interest and bring back some of those millions of viewers who are no longer tuning in to the show. It's also safe to say they know a thing or two about what it's like to be in this competition. It'd be interesting to see how their opinions mix and match, and how they approach the competition from a judges perspective, having been through the competition themselves. So we'll have to see if this report turns out to be true, and if so, which former contestants might be coming back to the show.
