Nigel Lythgoe Confirms Return of Randy Jackson to American Idol, “No Idea” what will Happen to Kara DioGuardi (Update: Now with Video)

By On 08/30/2010 · 16 Comments · In American Idol, American Idol 10, Nigel Lythgoe, Randy Jackson

After telling E News after the BAFTA TeaParty Saturday night that “All seats are open” as far as the American Idol judges panel is concerned,  newly-returning Idol executive producer, Nigel Lythgoe,  told  KTLA’s Sam Rubin and Jessica Holmes on the red carpet about the upcoming season.

When asked if he could name a single judge who’d be around for Season 10… he did.

Lythgoe says that one seat on the panel has an occupant, and it’s Randy Jackson. Wait. Was that a confirmation? “I hope so,” he says.

It looks like Randy Jackson is coming back.  Nigel tells CNN he has “no idea” what’s going to happen to Kara Dioguardi, but decisions about the judges panel will have to be nailed down within about 3 weeks.

UPDATE: Nigel Lythgoe also told the Los Angeles Times, on the Emmy red carpet last night, that Randy Jackson would be returning to American Idol. But as a caveat, he added, “I could be wrong about this.”

He played up the importance of chemistry on the panel, and the difficulty of hiring stars willing to open up 4 months of their schedules to Idol.

Nigel stressed that picking a capable judge has everything to do with their ability to spot talent–that person need not be a performer.  (Of course, it looks like the panel will be full of performers if they end up with Steven Tyler and Jennifer Jopez or Mariah Carey.)

Watch the video after the jump.

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  • Jx223

    I am glad that Randy is coming back to Idol.

  • HermeticallySealed

    Geez, enough with this bs. Does he not realize that people are tired of the who’s in who’s not game already. It’s not suspenseful anymore, it’s just tired.

  • pmreyn2010

    I’m glad Randy will be back. I think we need someone from the original panel to help move things along. Hopefully all this talk of rebooting the panel will drive him to give solid, constructive critiques this year.

  • Nina1

    So…I wonder if anyone has told Kara about her contract yet? So rude, just so rude.

  • Kitwana

    After watching that Tosh.O clip from Comedy Central about the David Archuleta girls, I know why they need Randy back. He adds comic relief.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxauQtd-J0g

  • JudyL

    I think today’s Nigel Lythgoe item pretty much confirms that it’s a damn waste of time to believe or even read anything he says. I’m having less and less hope for season 10 since he’s involved.

  • AIaddict

    Yayy! for Randy. I don’t mind having him back at all.

  • http://mjsbigblog.com/luvadamlamberts-american-idol-tour-2009-washington-dc-re-cap.htm luvadamlambert

    I’m shockingly happy to have him back…

  • cookcricket

    Lythgoe says that one seat on the panel has an occupant, and it’s Randy Jackson. Wait. Was that a confirmation? “I hope so,” he says.

    Seriously? No conclusion here…

    I have to say, I have not had much love for Randy in the past, but would be happy to have him there.

  • BootStar

    Hey, Nigel:

    Guess what? Nobody gives a sh*t at this point.

    For somebody who keeps saying the show should return its focus to the contestants, he sure spends a lot of time “not talking” about the judges.

    Give it a rest already.

  • MaryS-NJ

    Was there really any doubt that Randy wouldn’t be back? Seriously?

    I think we got the blast of true spoilers weeks ago and the rest of this is all just phony suspense. It will be Randy and Steven Tyler plus one of either J Lo or Mariah Carey (I’d still prefer Shania and will be pleasantly surprised if she’s the chosen female judge).

  • OvenMitt

    Was there really any doubt that Randy wouldn’t be back? Seriously?

    I think we got the blast of true spoilers weeks ago and the rest of this is all just phony suspense. It will be Randy and Steven Tyler plus one of either J Lo or Mariah Carey (I’d still prefer Shania and will be pleasantly surprised if she’s the chosen female judge).

    My vote goes to Shania as well. Can’t believe she’d be second fiddle to JLo in the running, actually. But perhaps that proves it really IS all about the judges. If it were about nurturing the contestants, Shania would be a no-brainer, or even Mariah (except, now that she’s preggers, don’t think she’ll take the job. I could be wrong, though). If JLo is the third judge, expect a circus. If it’s Mariah, expect her and Randy to pull hard for R&B types. If it’s Shania, Americana and pop/rock all the way.

  • CrazyFool

    but decisions about the judges panel will have to be nailed down within about 3 weeks

    Um, didn’t they say that like 2 weeks ago?! WTF is going on here?! I am about ready to say screw AI. Me and my die-hard fellow fan friends are not looking forward to the new season with so much uncertainty surrounding it. They think they are keeping us on the edge of our seats waiting for news, when in reality, we don’t give a shit anymore. I am done and over it. Buh bye Idol!

  • mozart4898

    A couple weeks (maybe a month…or two) back, I came to the conclusion that they’d play this judging panel drama out all summer – sorta alongside the tour, so that if the tour was a total flop, they’d still have something Idol in the entertainment news. I figured there’d be no confirmed decisions until the tour was over, just so they could keep people thinking about Idol in some way or another.

    What I don’t think they considered was the possibility of people burning out on this “drama.” If there was hope of me really being that interested in Idol after last season, it’s pretty much all dried up. This just goes to show that creating drama that has nothing to do with the contestants is every bit as important in their minds as the actual competition. I don’t give a f*ck if they pull 3 street musicians into the studio and pay them in bottles of whiskey just to sit in the chairs and write a number from 1-10 on a whiteboard in response to each performance. Make it about the performers and I think people will come back. Create drama with the judges, and I think more and more people will pass.

  • iluvai

    I’m a Randy fan! So is my 9 year old. We both want him back. He’s so mellow and cool…. Just bring back Paula and Simon and we’d be thrilled. lol!

  • Grammie Kari

    mozart4898:
    08/30/2010 at 4:06 pm

    What I don’t think they considered was the possibility of people burning out on this “drama.”

    Mozart, you have spoken the truth. I want to hear about some exciting and unique contestants that will appear on the show. Will they have the 6 girls/6 guys set up again? What about that Judges Save junk? Will there be a TOP 24?

    Oh, and who will be the judges. Let’s get this show on the road, folks!