The judging panel has seen its fair share of changes and replacements over the show’s 22 seasons.
American Idol has been finding some of the most talented singers from around the country since 2002. When the series first premiered, hopeful contestants gave it their best shot while auditioning in front of the show’s iconic original judging panel: Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson. But through the years, the judging panel has seen its fair share of changes and replacements.
Since Simon, Paula, and Randy’s departure, there has been over 10 other music industry icons who have stepped in to determine who gets a golden ticket. But with Katy Perry’s recent announcement that she’ll be leaving the show after this season, it looks like there may be an open spot on the panel for another industry vet to join the fun.
Find out why these judges quit American Idol through the years…
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Paula Abdul
Seasons: 1-8
Paula Abdul appeared on American Idol for eight seasons but she admits she almost quit on her first day. She says she grew to love the show but after eight years, she knew it was time to leave.
“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 things,” Paula told Entertainment Weekly.
She continued, “It was a bold decision to make, but I will always have tremendous gratitude because it was a tremendous experience for me. I was a big part of history. And the show did change when I left.”
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Simon Cowell
Seasons: 1-9
After nine seasons, Idol’s most iconic judge Simon Cowell parted ways with the show. He went on to launch the American version of The X Factor and now appears as a judge on America’s Got Talent. Looking back, he says one of the primary reasons he left Idol was the age restrictions for contestants, which wasn’t the case for his other shows.
“How can you say, ‘You can’t be a star [because of your age]’? 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? I just got to the point where this is not real, which is why I move on,” he explained to Hollywood Life.
He continued, “I mean I still like the show, but I was lucky because I went through the purple period with the artists that I am still friends with now. And we have remained amazingly good friends, we speak, hangout and talk. So I had the good years!”
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Kara DioGuardi
Seasons: 8-9
Kara DioGuardi only appeared on Idol for two seasons but says her time on the show made her feel like she “won the lottery.” Following her departure, she explained that while she loved the show, she had a lot going on in her life when she made the decision to leave.
“The show was in transition, and, for me, it complicated a lot of things in my own life. I don’t think people realized how many jobs I had and the things I was doing [outside the show], and when it looked like the show was in transition, I decided it was time for me to go. It was my decision. The transition made it hard for me to not make the decision to leave” she told The New York Post.
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Ellen DeGeneres
Seasons: 9
Ellen DeGeneres spent just one season as an American Idol judge, leaving after Season 9. She explained that she didn’t feel like she was the right fit for the show and her schedule became too hectic with the filming of her own talk show.
“A couple months ago, I let Fox and the American Idol producers know that this didn’t feel like the right fit for me. I told them I wouldn’t leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next. It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for,” Ellen said in a statement.
She continued, “I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings. I loved the experience working on Idol and I am very grateful for the year I had. I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be.”
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Steven Tyler
Seasons: 10-11
Steven Tyler admits he was getting paid an exorbitant amount of money to be a judge on American Idol but he left the show after Season 11. He explained that at the time his contract was to be renewed, he had a sense that a change was coming and decided to quit while he was ahead.
“It came around the month that I used to get phone calls, and I went, ‘Wait a minute.’ I called Randy [Jackson] and I said, ‘What’s going on? Am I getting thrown off?’ He goes, ‘They haven’t called me…’ And then I called Jennifer [Lopez], and she goes, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing.’ So there was a month of huh? So finally one day I just went, ‘It just don’t feel right. I’m quittin’now. Then the next morning Jennifer quit, so what does that tell you? It just didn’t feel right,” Steven told Yahoo! Music.
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Jennifer Lopez
Seasons: 10-11, 13-16
Jennifer Lopez had two runs on American Idol. She first appeared on the show for seasons 10 and 11 but then took a year-long hiatus. While she initially said she was leaving in order to “get back to doing the other things” in her career, she later shared that Steven’s departure played a big role in her decision.
“We had magic. I don’t know, with him gone, it might be a different formula,” she told ABC News.
Jennifer eventually returned for Seasons 13 through 15, leaving when the series wrapped its run on ABC.
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Randy Jackson
Seasons: 1-12
The last remaining original judge, Randy Jackson, departed from the show after Season 12. He stuck around as a mentor for Season 13 but officially parted ways with the show shortly after in 2014.
“After 13 seasons, I felt now was the perfect time to leave American Idol. 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. A true original, Idol started it all. Onto what’s next,” he said in a statement.
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Mariah Carey
Seasons: 12
Mariah Carey only lasted one season on American Idol, after a rumored feud with fellow judge Nicki Minaj throughout her run. Mariah ultimately decided to leave at the end of Season 12, explaining at the time that she was focusing on her music career. Years later, she called the show “boring and so fake” as well as “the worst experience of [her] life.”
“I’m not going to get into what it was, but let’s just say I don’t think they had any intentions for us to have a good experience doing that show. Pitting two females against each other wasn’t cool,” she said on the Kyle and Jackie O show.
She continued, “It should have been about the contestants instead of about some nonexistent feud that turned into even more ridiculousness. I would never want to be involved with it again. But everybody else did like it.”
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Nicki Minaj
Seasons: 12
Nicki Minaj left American Idol at the same time as Mariah, only appearing on the show for one season. At the time, she said the show was a “life changing experience” but she was leaving to “focus on the music.” While there was reportedly tension between Nicki and Mariah throughout filming, she confirmed that she had definitely felt “shade” from Mariah early on. In return, she “overcompensated” by acting crazier — which didn’t sit well with Mariah.
Nicki later shared that she would return to the show for $30 million.
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Keith Urban
Seasons: 12-15
Keith Urban joined American Idol during Season 12 and stuck with it until the end of the show’s run on Fox. When the series switched networks, an entirely new panel of judges was brought on, leaving Keith behind. He later returned as a mentor during the Season 21 finale.
“I had a great time as a judge and being on the show. Every season was a blast for me, so to come back and get to mentor and perform as well feels fantastic,” he told Billboard.
Harry Connick Jr.
Seasons: 13-15
Harry Connick Jr. signed onto Idol during Season 13 and also remained with the show until its run on Fox ended. While he wasn’t on the judging panel when the show moved to ABC, he did return to perform on the show in 2021.
