Ryan Seacrest had been making solid "American Idol" fans edgy on their seats as he dropped major bombshell about the shows final season. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, the judges together for eight seasons, will be back, according to radio host.
Speaking with the Access Hollywood, Seacrest said: "I've spoken to all of them recently and we as a team have talked to them about coming back to do something for the final season. They are going to do it it's just a matter of figuring what to do with them."
He told the same to E News' Will Marfuggi. "We will have the former judges back," he said.
Abdul left in season 9 and Cowell in 2010 for the "X Factor." As the three of them left the show one by one, Fox brought in other celebrity judges including Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Ellen DeGeneres, Keith Urban and Harry Connick, Jr.
"The plan is to have all of them back. They've all considered it and I think are enthusiastic about coming back and saluting the show," Seacrest added.
"American Idol" premiered in 2002. The show gave birth to Kelly Clarkson during season 1 and Carrie Underwood in season 4. In May this year, however, Fox announced that it is cancelling the show.
"American Idol will begin its 15th and final season this January on Fox," the company said in a statement. It will be a "season-long celebratory event" as the current judges (Lopez, Urban and Connick) "search for the final Idol superstar and pay tribute to the past 14 seasons of amazingly talented contestants," the statement said. "American Idol" season 15, the farewell season, premieres on January 6 at 8/7c on Fox.
"American Idol" had a long history of feuding judges: Carey and Minaj, as well as Cowell and DeGeneres.
"Hell no! Absolutely not. That was the worst experience of my life," Carey told Kyle & Jackie O show when asked if she would want to be back on the show.
DeGeneres also told of the same when asked about her experience judging for the show. "Yes... that's one of the worst decisions I've made," she said on Howard Stern's SiriusXM radio show.
Harry, on his part, told E! News he is excited about the news and is actually willing to give his chair to Cowell. He could even go up the stage, sing and let the "X Factor" judge him. Urban, on the other hand, was excited for an interesting reason: "I'd like to see Ellen and Simon sitting very close to each other, right next to each other, showing people that chemistry."
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