‘American Idol’: Lee DeWyze, Jessica Sanchez, more reflect on Randy Jackson

Thursday night’s “American Idol” finale was important for a number of reasons. Not only did it declare the first female winner since season 6 in Candice Glover, but it also marked the last episode in which Randy Jackson will serve as a judge. The man lasted three seasons longer than Simon Cowell and four more than Paula Abdul, and without him, it is starting to look more and more like a possibility that the show is really going to strip things back and try to reboot the entire panel from A to Z.

So what do some former contestants have to say in saying goodbye? In a new video from The Hollywood Reporter, the likes of Lee DeWyze, Jessica Sanchez, Chris Richardson, and more alums shared some of their favorite moments of the guy over the years, including some of the comedic moments that they had with them off-camera.

Our opinion on Randy has been the same for about three years or so: Without another judge like Simon around, he never had as much of a leg to stand on, and he felt uncomfortable in the mean role to the point where he said things sometimes that were truly baffling. He clearly loves music, and there was a part of us that constantly wished that he was a mentor just as much as a judge, since he may have been a little happier in that role in the later years. (There were rumors at one point that this was what he was going to do this year, before we learned that he would stand firm on the judging panel.)

What do you think: Are you going to miss Randy, or is there something about the Dawg, his catchphrases, and his bizarre fashion choices that you are honesty not going to miss? In case you missed some of our final words with Candice earlier in the day, you can check them out over at the link here.

Photo: Fox