Why Did the Original Judges Leave ‘American Idol’?
Twenty-one years ago, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell teamed up with Ryan Seacrest for the first time to find the best amateur singing voices on American Idol Season 1. Little did the original American Idol judges know that their show would go on to become a life-changing experience filled with career-defining moments. Jackson, Abdul, and Cowell all walked away from American Idol eventually, but the show lived on with different judges. Here’s why the original trio left.
Who were the ‘American Idol’ judges when Kelly Clarkson won?
American Idol, also known as American Idol: The Search for a Superstar, began in 2002. It was based on Pop Idol, a British music competition created by Simon Fuller. Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman hosted the first season, with Cowell, Jackson, and Abdul sitting at the judge’s table.
American Idol marked the start of a hugely successful career for country-pop singer Kelly Clarkson, who won the first season. Many other big names got their start on Idol after Clarkson, including Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert, Jordin Sparks, and more. The show also became one of the most successful reality competitions on television.
In 2019, the original American Idol judges reunited with Clarkson on her talk show, where Cowell credited Clarkson for Idol’s success.
“I actually genuinely do not believe we would be sitting here today if you hadn’t entered the show that year,” Cowell said, per ET Canada.
Why the original ‘American Idol’ judges left the show
Cowell, Abdul, and Jackson continued to judge on American Idol through season 8. Abdul was the first to leave in 2009, announcing her departure just before season 9 auditions began, per The New York Times. According to the Times’ report, Abdul and the American Idol producers were unable to reach an agreement when she asked for a raise. Ellen DeGeneres replaced Abdul in season 9.
In a 2016 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Abdul spoke about her reasons for leaving Idol.
“The truth is, it was time for me to leave. I’d never had the same job for eight years. I felt that there were changes happening, and it didn’t feel like the same show. I needed to go back and do things I wanted to do, and being in that contract with the show didn’t allow me to do many thing,” she said.
Cowell followed Abdul with his departure in 2010. He left American Idol to work on the American version of his other competition show, The X Factor. Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez joined the panel in Cowell’s place for season 10.
Cowell told Hollywood Life in 2019 that the age requirement on American Idol factored into his decision to leave.
“How can you say, ‘You can’t be a star [because of your age],'” Cowell explained. “And I found the word ‘Idol’ obnoxious, to be honest with you. And why isn’t a 35-year-old as great as an 18-year-old?”
Jackson was the last original judge to leave American Idol after season 12. He told Deadline that it was “the perfect time” to move on.
“I’m proud to have been a part of a series that discovered some incredible artists and will go down in history as one of the most successful television shows ever,” he said. “Onto what’s next.”
Who are the current judges on ‘Idol’?
Today, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan serve as the judges on American Idol, with Seacrest still hosting. The trio joined the show in 2018, when ABC revived Idol after its cancellation on Fox in 2016. Richie, Perry, Bryan, and Seacrest recently returned for American Idol Season 21, where they auditioned talent in Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Nashville.
New episodes of American Idol air every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Check out the season 21 release schedule for more details.
