Mariah Carey, five time Grammy winner, has announced that she will be the newest “American Idol” judge. After meeting with FOX executives on Monday, July 23, Carey joined in a phone press conference to confirm the news.

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Jennifer Lopez have both already announced that they will not be returning to “American Idol” after being on the show for two years. According to FOX president Kevin Reilly the decision was mutual. Reilly stated, “we both decided it’s time for a change.” During the past two years the show’s ratings have declined a staggering 23%, leaving FOX very unhappy with executive producer Nigel Lythgoe.

According to bestmoviesevernews.com Lythgoe is in danger of losing “American Idol” if he doesn’t revamp the show and up the ratings. Randy Jackson, long-time judge and member of Journey, was also in danger of losing his contract. However, as co-manager of Mariah Carey, he was key in cementing the deal between her and FOX, which also seems to have secured his place as judge. Reilly stated, “Randy has been working with Mariah for a long, long time and is in fact her co-manager. Randy was very instrumental in this deal.”

With several other competitive singing shows out there, “American Idol” is getting lost in time. Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe claimed at the Television Critics Association that one way ratings could be improved is to have new judges on the show each season. This strategy may in fact be necessary with new shows climbing in ratings such as “The X-Factor” which just added Britney Spears and Demi Lavato as judges.

Lythgoe also suggested that there is a chance that J-Lo would return to the show, but Reilly stopped those rumors stating, “I think I can say that’s 100 percent that Jennifer won’t be coming back to the show.” However, everyone at FOX, as well as Carey herself, are very excited about this new addition to the show.

Carey stated in the phone conference, “I am so excited to be joining “American Idol.” I wish I could have been there myself to tell you. This kind of all just happened really quickly. I can’t wait to get started in a couple months… I will see you in January.”

Kevin Reilly, president of FOX also added his support. “It’s the biggest recording artist that any of these shows have ever had. It’s an artist many of these contestants have tried to emulate. [The deal] only concluded only hours ago. Not being the only game in town, we need to keep things fresh.”

Simon Fuller, the creator and other executive producer of “American Idol” stated, “we are proud to have one of the world’s greatest-ever female singers join our show. Mariah defines the word ‘Idol’ and will inspire every singer that has the honor of performing in front of her.”

Hopefully for FOX and for “American Idol” the addition of Carey will guarantee that the show will go on.

Image Courtesy of  Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com

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Los Angeles, U.S.A – On July 28, 2012, The Music Center and Ovation present The Dizzy Feet Foundation’s second “Celebration of Dance” Gala hosted by its board members — including International Emmy Award-winning producer Nigel Lythgoe (‘American Idol’, ‘So You Think You Can Dance’) ‘Rock of Ages’ director Adam Shankman and actress Katie Holmes. Starting at 7:00PM at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at The Music Center, the gala event will feature performances by talent from ‘So You Think You Can Dance,’ ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ ‘Step Up Revolution,’ ‘The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers’ and ‘American Ballet Theatre’ among many others. The star-studded event will conclude with a Celebration Supper taking place in the Eva and Marc Stern Grand Hall at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA.

VIP tickets start at $400 and include dinner and unforgettable performances by some of the world’s most critically acclaimed dancers. General admission tickets for the gala performance range from only $34 to $125.

All tickets will benefit the Dizzy Feet Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is threefold: to sponsor, fund and/or support dance education programs that expose children in under-served areas to the lifelong benefits of dance education, through and with local community organizations; to provide scholarships to talented students studying at accredited or nationally regarded dance schools, studios, or institutions; and in conjunction with recognized credentialing organizations, to support and increase the quality of all styles of dance education in the United States.

The event is supported by presenting sponsors, The Music Center and Ovation, and is also made possible with the support of Electronic Arts, Inc.

Launched in 2010 by Nigel Lythgoe, National Dance Day is an annual celebration that takes place on the last Saturday in July. The campaign encourages Americans to incorporate dance into their lives as a way to promote health and self-esteem through the art form of dance. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a long-time proponent of healthy lifestyles, introduced the National Dance Day resolution at a press conference on July 31, 2010 in Washington, D.C., making the day dedicated to dance education and physical fitness across the U.S. an official act of Congress.

Image Courtesy of  Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

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