‘American Idol’ reportedly planning big changes for season 13; is Mariah Carey out?

Usually, “American Idol” is kind enough to wait until after a season is over before starting to create a whirlwind of controversy regarding their judges. However, the recent ratings plummet for season 12 is causing executives to push the panic button a little bit early. They don’t like being beaten by “The Voice” on a regular basis, especially when they have arguable spent more money on Mariah Carey, host Ryan Seacrest, and the full panel.

So who all could be gone next year? According to The Hollywood Reporter, Carey’s exit is almost a sure thing. Their sources claim that executives tried to replace Mariah at midseason with Jennifer Lopez, but pulled out when the “We Belong Together” singer’s camp threatened legal action. Meanwhile, they are still hoping to have J.Lo appear in the finale. While Lopez was hardly a great judge, Fox seems to be more interested in having her around than someone who takes far too long to say anything constructive.

The network also seems to be well aware that chemistry between the judges is the show’s biggest problem, and the entire judging panel could be gone next season. At this point, they are realizing what a miscalculation that they made with Nicki Minaj. Obviously, the hope here was that she would bring in more devoted viewers, but whatever fans she did bring to the show were not equal to the number of conservative midwestern families (the show’s bread and butter) who were turned off by having someone as brash and as blunt on the show as Nicki is. Personally, we love her feedback, but there is also a need for a panel that gets along with each other.

While producers clearly botched the panel for this season, they seem to be thinking smart for the future in that they are looking for some sort of industry professional rather than just a big star. The name “American Idol” will sell the show, but what will keep people watching beyond the premiere is something that is positive and fun.

What do you think about these rumors, and do you think that the entire panel needs to go? If you want to read some more scoop in preparation for Wednesday night’s performance show, you can do so over at the link here.

Photo: Fox