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| Reilly calls Carey: already phoning it in |
BEVERLY HILLS, CA–Forget that J-Lo stays story–Mariah Carey has been signed to be the diva judge next season on American Idol.
Fox network entertainment president Kevin Reilly made the announcement today before critics at the TCA press tour, squashing a rumour started just two sessions earlier that Jennifer Lopez might not be leaving.
It was Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe who tossed that juicy little hand grenade, but Reilly told critics that was just Lythgoe’s personal feelings speaking. “I can say it’s 100% that Jennifer won’t be on the show,” said Reilly.
He admitted later in the scrum that the door hadn’t been slammed shut earlier and that efforts were made to try and keep Lopez. But, hey, she’s busy, said Reilly, and when it looked too sticky, the network went in another direction.
Reilly actually called Carey on his cell phone and let critics in on a quick conversation with the singer–although the connection was so bad, it might as well have been Drew Carey.
