'American Idol' Is Finally Ending

Fox announced it will cancel 'American Idol' after this next season.

Image via Fox

Fox announced today that American Idol will officially come to an end after the show's upcoming 15th season. The moneymaker series has always been a boon for Fox, since the show first started in 2002 and launched Kelly Clarkson into the public eye (and co-winner Justin Guarini less so into the public eye—whatever happened to that guy?). But now it's time to call it curtains.

But some people, even contestants, have been saying that for a couple of years. So why now? Fox explains, via Entertainment Weekly:

“You know, it was not an easy decision,” said [Fox CEO Gary] Newman. ”American Idol has been such a vital part of Fox for its run, and we spent a lot of time talking with producers about the future of American Idol and collectively we arrived at the conclusion that it was time to bring the show to an end. But we wanted to do it in a way that felt special and celebratory and treated the show the way it deserved to be treated.”

Fox CEO Dana Walden added that the final season will also pay homage to the judges and contestants that came before:

Walden agreed it was a “pretty emotional decision,” and revealed the final season will feature appearances by former judges and contestants. “There’s a lot of enthusiasm around former judges and contestants coming back,” she said.

Yaasss. So let's bring back Justin Guarini, Randy Jackson, and Ryan Seacrest's one-time co-host Brian Dunkelman, please.

 

Latest in Pop Culture