‘American Idol’ Judges Through The Years: From Simon To Ellen To J.Lo To Katy

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May 22, 2022 1:09PM EDT

‘American Idol’ has seen a diverse rotation of celebrities come and go from its judging table. Take a look back at all of the stars who have judged on ‘Idol’ here.

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‘American Idol’ Judges Through The Years: From Simon To Ellen To J.Lo To Katy

‘American Idol’ Judges Through The Years: From Simon To Ellen To J.Lo To Katy
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The singing competition show ‘American Idol’ premiered in 2002 and instantly became a pop culture phenomenon. In addition, it trailblazed the way for similar talent-centered competition shows. The show’s format was simple: audiences watched musicians sing their hearts out in hopes of landing their big break over several rounds of auditions and then voted for their favorite person. The crowd-voted winner then walked out with some cash and a life-changing record contract.

The original ‘American Idol’ series launched some of the biggest names we know today: Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, and Chris Daughtry, to name a few. However, all good things must come to an end and the show went off the air in 2016. To fans’ delight, though, it got a reboot in 2018 and has been pumping out new seasons — and stars — ever since. 

‘American Idol’ would not be what it is today without its panel of super-famous judges. The show has welcomed a variety of musicians and creatives to its judging table over the years. Here’s a look back at all the celebrities who have served as a judge on ‘American Idol.’

May 18, 2022, 8:43PM
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Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell

Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell
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The original ‘American Idol’ cast of judges was full of high-achieving creatives in the music industry. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell composed the iconic group.

Randy was a successful producer and an executive with Columbia Records and MCA Records before landing his spot on the show. He became known for having a laid-back vibe and for often nicknaming people ‘dawg’ and saying, ‘Yo!’ 

Paula was a choreographer who worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, like Janet Jackson, in the 1980s. She then landed her own record contract and became one of the most successful acts of the late ’80s. Some of her biggest hits include “Straight Up,” “Forever Your Girl,” and “Cold Hearted.”

Simon was a record producer and talent scout before he became the mastermind behind several talent competition shows, such as ‘The X Factor,’ ‘America’s Got Talent,’ and yes, ‘American Idol.’ Simon was known on the show for being brutally honest but gave praise where it was due.

May 18, 2022, 8:43PM
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Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell

Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell
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Season 8 of ‘American Idol’ would be the last with its original judges together. Paula notoriously left the show after not receiving ‘a significant raise from the $2 million in salary plus another $1.5 million in expenses and other benefits that she was then earning a year as a judge on the show,’ which she asked for, per The New York Times.

May 18, 2022, 8:43PM
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Kara Dioguardi joins ‘American Idol’

Kara Dioguardi joins ‘American Idol’
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Kara Dioguardi is a Grammy-nominated songwriter and former A&R executive. She joined the judge’s table in Season 8 of ‘American Idol’, bringing the number of judges up to four. She stayed on the show until 2009. 

In her memoir A Helluva High Note, released in 2011, she revealed that she felt ‘uncomfortable, insecure and nervous’ while on the show, per Rolling Stone.  She also said she doesn’t think she was hired for the right reasons. ‘My sad take is that they were never interested in my for my accomplishments or how I could really help the contestants,’ she wrote. ‘As proof of that…I don’t think I was every properly credited or introduced to the viewers. I felt more like I was there to serve ulterior motives and ones that I could never achieve for them. I’m willing to bet that in Simon Cowell’s mind, I was Simon Fuller’s girl, and that made me suspect no matter what I said and did. Under those circumstances, I could see why Cowell was less than kind to me at times, but it still hurt.’ Simon fuller co-created ‘Idol’.

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Ellen DeGeneres joins the judging table

Ellen DeGeneres joins the judging table
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Comedian and talk show host Ellen Degeneres took Paula Abdul’s spot in the ninth season of ‘American Idol’ alongside Randy, Kara, and Simon. ‘I don’t know how it happened myself, but I have not missed one episode of that show,’ Ellen said of her casting on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, per the Los Angeles Times. ‘I love everything about it and I love music, as you know. Hopefully I’m the people’s point of view because I’m just like you. I sit at home and I watch it and I don’t have that technical . . . I’m not looking at it in a critical way from the producer’s mind. I’m looking at it as a person who is going to buy the music and is going to relate to that person.’

May 18, 2022, 8:43PM
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Simon Cowell, Ellen Degeneres, Kara DioGuardi, and Randy Jackson judge a contestant on ‘Idol’

Simon Cowell, Ellen Degeneres, Kara DioGuardi, and Randy Jackson judge a contestant on ‘Idol’
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Season 9 of ‘American Idol’ would be the first and last for Ellen DeGeneres, and the second and last for Kara DioGuardi. Simon also exited the show to focus on new ventures.

May 18, 2022, 8:43PM
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Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez become judges

Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez become judges
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Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez replaced Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi for the 10th season of ‘American Idol’. In a press release following the announcement, Steven said he couldn’t wait to spread some love on the show.
‘I’ve been on tour for most of my life in a band with four guys who judge me every day. Sometimes it hurt, but it only made me stronger,’ he recalled, per NBC New York. ‘I want to give everybody a little love before I decide who goes home heartbroken. If you don’t like what I say, don’t get mad, get better.’ Meanwhile, the ‘On the Floor’ singer gushed, ‘For nine years I’ve enjoyed watching artists compete to get a meaningful chance to achieve their dreams. I know from my own experience how hard it is to succeed, and I’m looking forward to discovering and nurturing that spirit.’

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Three newcomers join the cast of ‘American Idol’

Three newcomers join the cast of ‘American Idol’
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Two seasons after Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler joined ‘American Idol’, they left and were replaced with three new judges: Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, and Nicki Minaj. ‘Nicki’s an unbelievably captivating international phenomenon who has made an indelible mark on rap and pop,” Fox’s president of alternative Mike Darnell said in a statement following the announcement of the judges, per Entertainment Weekly. ‘And Keith is another great addition to Idol – he’s one of the biggest stars in country music and I know that our fans and contestants will fall in love with him. With an unparalleled star like Mariah, fan-favorite Randy, chart-toppers like Nicki and Keith and our incomparable host Ryan [Seacrest], we’ve put together one of the most exciting judging panels around.’

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Host Ryan Seacrest sits down with Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj, and Keith Urban

Host Ryan Seacrest sits down with Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj, and Keith Urban
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Apparently, both Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj weren’t 100 percent sold on the idea of joining ‘American Idol’ when the offer came about. ‘I was on the fence about the whole thing,’ Mariah revealed to The Hollywood Reporter after she was announced as a judge. However, her husband at the time, Nick Cannon, convinced her to try it out. As for Nicki, she said she thought it might be an uncool move for her and blamed the ‘judgmental culture in hip-hop’ for making her feel that way. ‘Sometimes you are afraid of being too famous because it’s almost, like, is that even cool? Being that accessible, someone you see on TV every week? I never pictured myself as that type of person. I’m still surprised that I decided to do it,’ she explained.

May 18, 2022, 8:43PM
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Season 12 of ‘Idol’ had some tension on set

Season 12 of ‘Idol’ had some tension on set
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Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj — two stars with notoriously big personalities — seemed to feud instantly on the show, and weren’t afraid to argue back and forth while cameras were rolling. 

May 18, 2022, 8:43PM
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Some more changes come to ‘American Idol’

Some more changes come to ‘American Idol’
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Out with the new and in with the old! After just one season, Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey left the show. Jennifer Lopez came back to judge with Keith Urban. Famed jazz musician Harry Connick Jr also signed up to judge Season 13. These judges held their seats until the iconic show was canceled after its 15th season. 

May 18, 2022, 8:43PM
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‘American Idol’ is back!

‘American Idol’ is back!
ABC

The 2018 ‘American Idol’ reboot brought some of the world’s biggest stars to the judging table: Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan. Instead of coming back to its original network, Fox, it found a home at ABC. ”American Idol’ is a pop-culture staple that left the air too soon,’ Channing Dungey, the president of ABC Entertainment, noted in a press release. ‘ABC is the right home to reignite the fan base. We are thrilled viewers will once again share in these inspiring stories of people realizing their dreams.’

May 18, 2022, 8:43PM
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‘American Idol’ is going strong

‘American Idol’ is going strong
ABC

‘American Idol’ celebrated its 20th season in 2022. Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan still provide commentary at the judging table, while Ryan Seacrest still serves as host. 

May 18, 2022, 8:43PM