MUMBAI: Singer Keith Urban has been finalized as the fourth judge for the 12th season of the singing reality show American Idol.
Clearing speculations about the final four judges, the organisers announced the final jury panel which includes of Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj apart from Urban. Previous judges-rocker Steven Tyler and Latin singer Jennifer Lopez departed the show last season.
TV personality and American Idol host Ryan Seacrest confirmed the news on Twitter as he posted a picture of everyone and wrote: “It’s official, your new #IdolJudges are @MariahCarey, @NickiMinaj, @KeithUrban & @Yo_RandyJackson.”
Fox president of alternative Mike Darnell in a statement said, “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 Carey, fan-favorite Randy Jackson, chart-toppers like Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban and our incomparable host Ryan Seacrest, we’ve put together one of the most exciting judging panels around.”
The audition for participants has commenced in New York. Other audition cities include Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, San Antonio, Baton Rouge and Oklahoma City.
The singing reality show is set to premiere by January next year.