CompleteCoverage: TCA Summer Press Tour 2013
Los Angeles -- Keith Urban is returning as a judge on the upcoming 13th season of American Idol, Fox entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly said during Fox's executive session at the TCA summer press tour Aug. 1.
Reilly acknowledged they have been in discussions with Jennifer Lopez about returning to the show but "there is no deal with her or anybody else." He did tell reporters after the session that he was sure Randy Jackson would be back in a guest capacity and confirmed discussions with Jennifer Hudson and Adam Lambert, saying "we'd love the
alumni to return to the show in some fashion, there were availability issues."
"We want judges that are good at the job and people like," Reilly said, noting that the network's own marketing last year focused too much on the judges at the expense of the contestants.
He added that the new Idol producers have ideas to tinker the format in the middle rounds and introduce new elements to freshen up the show, though it won't be a wholesale relaunch. "You can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. I think
it just needs some recalibration on something and some fresh new elements."
