It's official: Jenny is on the judging block. Fox officials welcomed Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Wednesday as the newcomers who will make or break dreams on "American Idol."
They walked on stage at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., to thunderous applause from hundreds of "Idol" wannabes hoping to make the cut.
"This was certainly under the radar," host Ryan Seacrest joked as Lopez appeared in a sequined jumpsuit.
"I'm so excited to be here," she gushed. "I'm looking for the next Michael Jackson."
Bronx-bred Lopez will get $12 million for one year on the top-rated talent contest, according to TMZ.com. The singer-actress asked for $15 million and a guaranteed movie and TV pilot deal before signing, but Fox officials balked, according to the influential blog Deadline.com.
She scored an ambiguous "first look" TV and film development deal instead, according to a press release.
Speaking to reporters, JLo said feverish reports of diva demands didn't faze her.
"I'm used to speculation. I was calming the Fox people down. I was like 'Listen, it will be gone tomorrow, and once they hear who we are and what we're doing, it's going to be fine. Don't worry about it. We know what the truth is.'"
Show producers backed her up.
"There's so much rubbish out there," executive producer Nigel Lythgoe said.
"We heard that she only likes yellow M&Ms. I thought really? Who's going to pick them all out for her? And she said, 'No, where did that come from?' So there are so many stories."
Tyler, meanwhile, said he signed immediately and hoped "to bring some rock to this roller coaster."
Asked who will inherit the villain mantle left by departing judge Simon Cowell, Lopez and Tyler said they both believed in "tough love."
"But as an artist myself, I could never be cruel to another artist," Lopez, 41, said.
"Creative criticism is what I'm looking for. The days are gone of kicking somebody in the testicles. I don't want to see that," Lythgoe said.
The new star-studded panel is part of a massive overhaul in the wake of sluggish ratings last season. Rounded out with veteran Randy Jackson, it's a return to the show's tried and true judging trifecta. Gone are judges Ellen DeGeneres, Kara DioGuardi and, of course, Paula Abdul. Cowell recently split to work on an American version of his hit Brit series "X Factor" for Fox.
The minimum age for contestants was reduced to 15 this season, and Lythgoe is back in the fold after departing in 2008 for "So You Think You Can Dance."
Universal Music exec Jimmy Iovine will mentor contestants and bring some of the cutthroat edge reminiscent of Cowell, Lythgoe said.
Lopez said the new job fit with her "evolution" and offered the added benefit of planting her family in Los Angeles for six months.
"The babies can do like dance class and soccer practice," she said. "We're excited about being a little bit of a normal family for a little while."
Idol's season 10 airs in January.
No comments:
Post a Comment