Update: Randy Jackson speaks! He tells E Online that, “”The only thing that’s for sure is Ryan [Seacrest]…Nothing has been decided.”
So, the big news from today’s TCA Press tour about Season 10 of American Idol is that there is no news.
Fox chief, Peter Rice declined to offer any definitive answers about if Nigel Lythgoe is coming back as executive producer, who would make up the judges panel, if the panel is going back to 3 judges, if Kara DioGuardi or Randy Jackson would be keeping their jobs etc.
Rice did confirm that they tried to persuade Ellen Degeneres to stay at first, but then decided to move ahead without her.
The only thing Rice also confirmed that we’ll have the answers to our questions by the time the judges round of auditions begin in September.
Rice said, “Nobody has signed any deals in front of or behind the camera to join Idol next year.” and “Much of the information that has been written is accurate; some is wildly inaccurate.”
- Read more at Access Hollywood, The Hollywood Reporter, Associated Press, Zap2it, Reality Blurred
Related:
- Randy Jackson was Almost a Casualty
- Idol looking for a “Less Callous and Cynical” Judges Panel, Announcements about Judges and Nigel Lythgoe to Be Made Monday
- Kara DioGuardi Fired. Idol Going Back to a 3 Judge Panel Consisting of Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler
- Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler: New Idol Judges
- Ellen Degeneres Bows Out of American Idol!
Read tweets from the TCA Press Tour FOX Executive Session, after the jump:
@realityblurred: Ellen DeGeneres met with Fox in early June, exec “tried to persuade her it would be different in the future.”
@nprmonkeesee: “Fox’s Peter Rice says that nobody has signed any deals, in front of or behind the camera, to join Idol next year.”
@nprmonkeesee: “Note that Rice is not just saying no new judges are signed; he’s saying there’s no signed deal with Nigel Lythgoe to come back, either.”
@nprmonkeesee: “Much of the information that has been written is accurate; some is wildly inaccurate.” — Peter Rice, Fox”
@thefutoncritic: “Rice says he hoped to intro them at TCA, definitely plans to have deals by audition episodes filming in September”
@thefuntoncritic: “In short, Rice won’t say anything about Kara, JLo, Nigel, Tyler, etc. – reporters hoping to squeeze blood from stone.”
@realityblurred: “Questions about Kara DioGuardi dodged, Randy Jackson’s name not mentioned once by Fox execs.”
@realityblurred: “Fox’s Kevin Reilly: “Let me start by telling you who the judges are going to be next year” & “talent was excellent” on
@realityblurred: “No comment from Fox exec about Randy Jackson, either. Subtext: He might be gone from American Idol 10, too.”