American Idol exec Nigel Lythgoe may have hired Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj to serve as judges on the hit show back in 2012 but now it seems he wishes he didn’t.
Why he feels the ladies are partially to blame for the show’s demise?
His words below…
He told Billboard:
Mariah and Nicki was just crazy, and then it really started becoming about the judges and took away from the contestants altogether. I think that was a major failing on the part of casting to have those two together. On their own, either one may have been successful.
Lythgoe was referring to the pair’s on-camera feud which rocked the show when footage of Minaj berating Carey hit the net via TMZ.
![Mariah Carey Signs Rihanna's BREAST at Final Christmas Show in NYC [Video]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/mariah-carey-rihanna-signed-boob-tgj-464x260.jpg "Mariah Carey Signs Rihanna's BREAST at Final Christmas Show in NYC [Video].")
the show was already sinking prior to nicki and mariah.
but of course some1 always gotta be blamed, right? smh
Exactly. Really, the show died after Simon left.
Nicki acted like the fool they hired and Mariah acted like the DIVA they hired! They got what they paid for! CASE CLOSED
HONEY ITS N8CKI FAULT!!!!! AH FUNKY HO!!!
having jlo on the show started the show demise and the show being about the judges and less about contestants. the whole “who will host next?” and “what did jlo wear last night?” that is when the show became about the contestants. anyways the show was on a decline when the show was pushing singers that are not able to achieve success outside of the show. it isnt just a singer contest or popularity contest but a show to get the next pop idol. the show wasn’t producing that at all.
That’s stupid!
NICKI stupid
The problem for me that year was Nicki… Mariah should’ve been the only female.
This show been back for years dont even know why Nicki was on it?????? Irrelevant
Nicki shouldn’t have been cast! The B!T CH can’t sing!
And can you sing ho?
can U!!!
Blaming Nicki or Mariah ain’t going to take off the fact that that show has been dead waaaaay before they even sat on the pannel. He should be looking for the real problem as to why are the contestants constantly flopping and why they never seem to make it except for a few handful ones. If Nicki and Mariah were the problem then, what’s the problem now that they aren’t there anymore?
It was nicki fault honey…DEAL!!!!
He is a liar; the show has not been good in 5 years; Mariah and Nikki at least made itbinteresting; Jlo as a judge ???? She’s a dancer who can’t act or sing? Mariah is a ICON with 200 million sold; IDOL producers used Nikki and Mariah to bring the drama and at least it brought viewers back
Exactly!!! He should be sending thank you cards, not spewing this crap.
Nicki platinum yet?
Jackie crosses 100k?
NO no no no, scratch that, 30k?
F*** off . JlO is better than f****** and the w**** nicki
Kii
It declined when they let classless trash like Nicki judge contestants when she has no talent herself.
Nicki has talent in one finger than the egg hatcher you stan for biitch. Make sure you worry aboout No certs allowed ever seeing a certification after 6 long years. Next to being allergic from the public, Big bird is allergic from RIAA.
The show was in decline for years, but the Mariah and Nicki season is when it headed into trashy X-Factor territory. I like both ladies, but they both acted childish at times.
Nicki was an honest judge which I appreciated… but in terms of the feud with Mariah being the reason is dumb… the show was already sinking. Side note, the season with Nicki & Mariah had high viewers each week.
mariah was a b**** there but Nicki was honest unlike the fat b**** she was throwing shades
Lets be honest, Mariah’s & Nicki’s “fued” was a publicity stunt the show created… But, it backfired on they asses. Also, that season was EVERYTHING! I loved MC & Nicki’s fake fighting/bickering each week. It was soooo shady! And, extremely funny! Mariah & Nicki made that season idc!
That show had been sinking for a LONG TIME MIMI or Nikki had nothing to do with it in my opinion i feel as though when they started celebrating the runner ups or contestants and not the actual winners the show lost me!! especially how Jhud is praised but Fantasia Won and Fantasia constantly wins Check her and Jhud stats on billboard if u need a receipt on that I do congratulate jhud on her oscar winbut her albums never do much
“Why you mad? ” Nigel needs to quit. Mariah admitted that THEY are the ones who staged the fighting and etc. for some ratings. They made it into a rachet show when had they focused on Mimi & Nicki’s friendship, that season (show still would have declined) would have been better. The show hasn’t seen a successful career made since Carrie Underwood. They just need to accept the gimmick is OVER.
I have no clue why people even try to compare Nicki & Mariah! We already know Mariah is talented. Nicki CAN rap, Nicki CAN sing, she is talented! Would you & could you spit against her?? I wanna see! Nicki can’t freestyle, if I’m not mistaken she even admits that but who cares, talent is talent!
I just dont get why some of you waste your time talking about celebrities that you dont like! I agree with some of you, the Mariah/Nicki drama was good t.v, & the show had been over & done with b4 they arrived, they were a last ditch effort to revive the show. They both brought in more viewers, & let’s not forget those two worked together b4! It was all a ploy. The show should have called it quits in 2010.
guess someone one had to pay the pip-per, this is so disgusting they wanted the drama that’s why the made it up and because it fails they turning around blaming nicki and mimi, they can f-ckoff the show was sinking for years.mimi and nicki had nothing to do with it, they did what they goit paid for herlping the contestant with a little drama, so they can f-off with that blaming game, it isn’t mimi are nicki’s fault the show went belly up.
That’s stupid but the feud between those two was so ghetto, low class, you can say what you want about J.Lo but she really won the public, they loved her, she has been praised for it, despite being a diva she manages to give the impression of a down to earth person, she was the best judge on the show history, you don’t have to be a good singer to know when someone can sing, if that’s the case Randy/Simon/Paula shouldn’t have been there neither.
It wasnt the fight that was the problem, it was the producers choice of using that as promo that was the problem. They tried to capitalize on it and it backfired.
And yes, the ratings were already decreasing anyways.
Then as far as it becoming about the couches more than the contestants, thats really a result of The Voice. The Voice is really successful and they focus a lot of the judges, so thats a result of The Voice’s success, something AI couldnt keep up with.
The problem with American Idol is when Nicki asked to sit next to J-Lo that next season after she performed one of her songs on American Idol, well they receive but Nick didn’t realized the shake up was going to be Mariah Carey. The problem with Idol was once Paula left then Simon left. And I know Randy secretly wanted to leave because it was already a sinking ship even Kara left( which I don’t understand why she was there in the first place but oh well.) But like I said Randy was placed to hold this show together making him the last original judge standing it wasn’t going to work even J-Lo and L.A. Reid couldn’t keep the show a float this was bound to happen and adding poor Ellen up their made matters work American Idol just seemed desperate at, it should’ve went off the air when Paula and Simon parted ways with American Idol That’s just my honest opinion.
Worst not work.
Oldnigga is to blame with her Lil Kim wannabe obsession. This chic is so obsessed with Kim she had an abortion just to be like kim
Did this b**** really say Nicki Minaj can sing??!!!! WHERE LMAOOOO WHAT LIVE SONG HAS SHE EVER SONG THAT H** USES SO MUCH AUTOTUNE LAUREN HILL MISSY ELLIOT CAN SING N RAP NICKI CAN BARELY RAP SHE RHYMES
why you mad? talking bout you mad
This show had no growth. It was bound to get cancelled blaming Mariah and that other. girl is not cool.
How ridiculous to blame them two! They had a hilarious gif worthy season! The damn problem with the execs is that they started putting more focus into the judging panel and neglected the actual raw talent that was being presented to them.
Truth is Mariah thought she was going to be the only female on the panel when Nicki got signed on it stole her shine a little so she tried to shade and belittle her. Nicki wasnt having that ish and put her in her place on the regular! I respect Nicki for that just becsuse Mariah old self been in the Game for 20 plus years does not give her the right to downgrade Nicki and Nicki let her know!
Nonsense. Mariah never comes for ho3s unless they try it which is exactly what Onika did time and time again.
The irony is that that was probably the last good season, as far as talent goes.
Nicki was insecure, rude & disrespectful. She didn’t know her place. She had to prove herself. She was very ghetto & had a very nasty attitude. That show had stopped producing stars long ago..
the talent was actually one of the best that year candace is one of the best vocalist to ever win altho i love nicki and mariah the show lost like half the viewers that season even after simon left the ratings were crazy high with jlo steven tyler the show was averagin over 20 million a week as soon as nicki and maiah came it went to like 12 so nigel has a point
The show is over and final season