When American Idol producers called Harry Connick Jr. to offer him a spot on the judges panel, he only hesitated because of his busy schedule. He tells the St. Louis Dispatch, ” Some things had to be worked out, but they worked out great and I’m having a great time.”
Harry won’t comment on last season’s disastrous Nicki Minaj/Mariah Carey trainwreck. But he wants fans to know the panel takes their job seriously.
“People are going to like this season. It’s three judges who deeply care about why they were hired. They’re taking it seriously. Everybody comes in, and we listen and we have a great time,” he says. “I like Jen, I like Keith and they like me. We have fun off-camera and on-camera.”
He feels the focus of the show should be on the contestants. Is the mention of the word “novelty” a subtle dig at The Voice and their spinning chairs?
“We’re ready for ‘Idol’ to go back to a Cinderella story. It’s not about whatever’s going on behind the judges’ table. It’s our job to make sure whoever makes it to the final 10 or whatever is in a dogfight. They have to be throwing down. People want to see talent, not all the novelty. They want great singers and great entertainment, and they want to see them fight it out.”
Harry promises to deliver pointed and clear critiques to the hopefuls:
“I try not to send mixed messages. If it’s not very good, I like to tell them it’s not good and the answer is no. If it’s good, I can say that was terrific”
Via UT San Diego
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