Jennifer Lopez, a judge on “American Idol†during Seasons 10 and 11, is closing a deal to return to the show. Deadline.com reported on Saturday that her return was expected to be announced in one to two weeks, once her contract is finalized.
The Fox network declined to comment on the report. But the network’s entertainment chairman, Kevin Reilly, said last week that Ms. Lopez
had been in the mix as the producers plotted a new panel of judges for this long-in-the-tooth but still-popular singing competition. After
Season 12 ended in May, three of the four judges â€" Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and the last remaining original, Randy Jackson â€" exited
the show, along with the longtime executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick. Three new producers, Per Blankens, Jesse Ignjatovic and
Evan Prager, and Fox executives have since decided to bring back the fourth judge from Season 12, the country music star Keith Urban. “Fans
loved him, and you can see how much he loved doing the show,†Mr. Reilly told television critics last week.
Ms. Lopez was also adored by viewers for her empathetic, constructive criticism of the contestants. “Idol†will revert to a three-judge format for Season 13; Deadline.com reported that the pop music artist will.i.am was likely to take the third chair.
