‘American Idol’ to Fire Four? 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

American Idol, one of the most popular shows of the past decade, is reportedly getting rid of all four judges. Here’s what you need to know.

1. The Wrap Says All Four Judges Will Be Fired

According to sources who spoke to The Wrap, executives at Fox are getting ready to fire all four judges — Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey, and Keith Urban. It would be the biggest change to the long-running program since Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul left the show.

None of the four judges on the singing competition will be asked to return next season, an individual with knowledge of Fox’s plans told The Wrap…”All four are gone,” the insider told TheWrap. “They feel they’ve lost their core audience and they want it back.”

2. Randy Jackson Has Already Left

Just a few hours ago, Randy Jackson told E! Online that he was planning on leaving American Idol as well. Here’s his statement to E! Online:

“Yo! Yo! Yo! To put all of the speculation to the rest, after 12 years of judging on American Idol I have decided it is time to leave after this season,” he says. “I am very proud of how we forever changed television and the music industry. It’s been a life changing opportunity but I am looking forward to focusing on my company Dream Merchant 21 and other business ventures.”

E! Online also reports that Jackson has a full plate ahead, including releasing some new music, a new book, and is in talks for film and TV deals.

3. Nicki Minaj Has Spoken About The Rumors

Minaj, one of the most popular rappers in music today, also spoke about the rumors that she would be getting fired — interestingly to Ryan Seacrest, who is also the host of American Idol. She said:

“That’s a million-dollar question,” she laughs. “I have to say this all the time, but I want people to know it’s genuinely from my heart. I love the people on Idol. I genuinely do. If I had to do this all over again, I would have done Idol. Because it’s fun, it’s laughs. It’s kind of sad that what people read all the time is only when something is negative. But they don’t realize that we built a family. I feel happy here and I have to thank them for giving me this chance. They could have picked anyone in the world. And they picked me. So that’s all I’ll say about that.”

4. Fox is Worried About the Declining Viewership

It seems like Fox is worried about the continuing decline of American Idol. According to The Wrap, ratings for the show was already down 22 percent this season and reached a series low when it managed to only get 11 million viewers. The reason they won’t cancel the show is because — not only do they have an adequate replacement — but the show still manages $836.4 million in ad revenue a year.

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5. Mariah Carey Fired Randy Jackson, Her Manager

According to MTV, judge Mariah Carey has fired ex-co-judge Randy Jackson as her manager. Jackson and Carey met in the 90’s when he worked for Columbia Records, and he helped Carey get a $18 million contract for American Idol. Definitely an interesting development, following the rumors surrounding the judges and now, Jackson’s confirmed departure from the show.