We might not know who the next American Idol judges will be or if it will include Keith Urban, but we do know one thing. Ryan Seacrest is a go. And if he has it his way, he’ll be there until American Idol’s very last day.

Yes, Ryan tells Access Hollywood that he loves his job that much.

“I love doing it. …It’s what I know. Every day of my life for the last 12–almost 13–years,” he said. “I’ve gotten up to either host Idol or go on the auditions. So I’d like to do it as long as they’d like to have me.”

Ryan also tells Access Hollywood we thinks four judges isn’t the way to go.

“I think three makes for a faster moving show,” Ryan said.

Ryan also said he would love to have Simon to return. Wouldn’t we all? I know I would because that would mean X Factor would be over.

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Former American Idol judge Steven Tyler was known for being a bit of a softy on the show. Now the Aerosmith frontman has admitted that he wasn’t exactly honest with all the contestants. Especially the bad ones.

“The format was supposed to be take the piss out of people, so it’s good TV,” Steven said on Howard Stern’s Radio Talk Show,  ”and I was gentle because I couldn’t imagine telling some girl … she sucks and she can’t sing, so then for the rest of her life she’s not singing.”

We kind of suspected that Steven. We don’t blame you at all, but thanks for finally confessing.

Steven also admitted something else a lot of people suspected about why he took the American Idol job in the first place.

“I took it because I was pissed off at the band (Aerosmith),” he said. “I fell offstage and nobody called me.”

Steven is referencing his fall from a stage at a concert in 2010 that lead to him entering rehab for substance abuse.

Do you think judges should be nicer like Steven even if it means lying or should they be honest like Simon Cowell was?

Original content from American Idol 2013.

To say ousted American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe has mixed feelings over his recent firing would be an understatement. He knows the firing wasn’t personal but also harbors hard feelings. As he and anyone else fired from a job should.

“Of course I’ve got hard feelings. I’m pissed off,” Nigel said with a laugh on the red carpet at the Critics’ Choice Television Awards on Monday night in Los Angeles. “But, in truth, you say at the end of the day that this has been a fantastic journey and it really has [been] for me, personally.”

Nigel also added that he thinks he knows what went wrong with the show in recent seasons.

“I believe the issue is that we lost our way, that we went for a young audience when really, we’re a family show,” he said. “When we came over here, I said, ‘We are going for targeting this middle age group that will bring the kids in and the grandparents. And families I think, nowadays, feel very guilty they aren’t together enough so if you have a program that attracts an entire family, you get what you want, which is that younger age group anyway.”

Nigel also took the time to remind us that he has had nothing to do with recent judging choices. That was all up to Fox.

“My feeling with judges is I only ever chose three judges and [they were] Randy [Jackson], Paula [Abdul] and Simon [Cowell]. But my feeling with that is you do have to screen test them. Just because you’re a great singer does not make you a great judge,” he said.

No word on what Nigel thinks of the new producer, Per Blankens, who will be replacing him.

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American Idol has already filled the producer void left by Nigel Lythgoe when he was fired last week.

Set to replace Lythgoe during American Idol 2014  is Per Blankens, who produced the Swedish version of American Idol from 2007-2011.

“Per is a creative and experienced executive who has been the show runner on the blockbuster Swedish Idol for more than 5 seasons,” said Trish Kinane, American Idol’s executive producer for FremantleMedia North America.  “He is extremely passionate about Idol and I’m very excited about his ideas and vision for keeping Idol creatively vibrant. He brings the talent and energy needed to keep American Idol strong.”

Blankens is already set to begin his new duties.

“The Idol franchise is a worldwide phenomenon and I’m honored to be a part of the most popular of the franchises, ‘American Idol,’” Blankens said according to Variety. “I can’t wait to get started as auditions for the new season are just a few weeks away.”

Lythgoe officially addressed his departure around the time the news broke of his replacement. He issued this statement:

“It has been a tremendous honor to launch and build American Idol over the course of a decade and to see it recognized with 51 nominations and 6 Emmy Awards including the Academy’s highest honor, the Governors Award. To be a part of the spin-off program, Idol Gives Back, was incredible. As well as raising nearly $200 million for various charities it was a personal life-changing experience for me. It also provided me with the opportunity to produce and direct a magical sequence with Celine Dion together with Elvis Presley. This continues to be one of the highlights of my entire career.

“Over the years, I believe we have changed the face of American television forever and eventually created a true global  phenomenon. It has been inspiring to find and launch the careers of artists ranging from Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Phillip Phillips and many more, spanning all musical styles and genres. I am truly saddened to be leaving a great team of friends and colleagues. However, at the end of the day, the most important thing is to maintain this incredible platform for America’s young talent. This will only happen with the success of the program. If the executives that are now in charge of American Idol believe that the ratings will improve with my departure,  I have no complaints. It has been a great ride and I’ve loved every moment of it. After dedicating over 12 years to Idol, I look forward to continuing work on my beloved So You Think You Can Dance, which is going strong in its 10th season.”

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It’s officially American Idol off-season and there’s not a lot going on aside from rumors about who will and who will no be judges next season, but thanks to Twitter, we still get tiny bits of news here and there, so here is our first summer edition of American Idol’s Twitter round-up.

Nigel Confirms His Exit

As we reported, Fox has decided to go without Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick next season on American Idol. And Nigel confirmed his exit with a few tweets about the subject.

“Kust had 10 days in the Bahamas, rain everyday,” he Tweeted. “I get back to the States and get fired. Sad! Monday we choose our top 20 [SYTYCD]. I’ll smile again.”

He went on to explain why he is out at Idol.

“Yes, don’t worry I’m on #SYTYCD. FOX still loves me. It’s not a personal thing they just feel IDOL needs new leadership after 12 Seasons,” he Tweeted.

Janelle Arthur Headed To The Opry

American Idol runner-up Kree Harrison just did the Grand Ole Opry and now Season 12 finalist Janelle Arthur is headed there as well.

“Ok I am in such disbelief to tell y’all that I will officially be playing the Grand Ole Opry! My dream since I was 4. I am so beyond honored. June 19th!” She Tweeted.

Erika Van Pelt To Perform With Kellie Pickler

American Idol Season 11 alum Erika Van Pelt seems to be getting a lot of opportunities post Idol.

“So I had to turn down the offer 2 open 4 Bret Michaels because I was already booked, but looks like I am playing with Kellie Pickler in Nov!” She recently Tweeted.

Original content from American Idol 2013.

In a not-so-shocking move, American Idol producers Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick will not be returning for American Idol 2014, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

It was expected that the two would follow the entire judging panel out the door before Season 13 after a lackluster season and a finale that saw ratings dip 40 percent less than the previous year.

“Both Nigel and [creator Simon Fuller] really clashed,” an insider told FOX411. “Ken and Nigel’s exit isn’t surprising…It’s hard for anyone involved in the production to get along with Fuller.”

I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot about the upcoming changes for Season 13 as Fox and the production companies involved shift into high gear to rebrand their show to attempt to regain its footing in the ratings race.

Here’s to hoping they come up with a plan that makes fans happy enough to come back to the show as loyal viewers next season.

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American Idol season 4 winner Carrie Underwood has premiered the video for her new hit single “See  You Again.”

The summer song is light and breezy with a message of hope. That message comes across in the video as it shows people dealing with loss and success. There are also some nods to Sandy Hook Elementary school and tornado stricken Moore, Oklahoma. Carrie’s home state is Oklahoma.

Carrie performed the song at Wednesday night’s CMT awards honoring all the recent tornado victims.

“We really wanted to do something really special with the song,” Carrie told Entertainment Tonight. “The song itself, I think, is really beautiful. I’ve heard the most incredible stories about how it’s affected different people and what it means to them.”

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American Idol 2013 runner-up Kree Harrison made her Grand Ole Opry debut, which is often a dream come true for a country music artist.

And I can only imagine it’s quite an emotional moment which is why so many great performances come out of the opry. Kree’s performances were no different. She was pitch perfect and emotional with her version of “In The Garden” and her performance of her American Idol single “All Cried Out.”

Kree says that she told her late father if she ever got to do the Opry, she’d sing his favorite hymn “In The Garden.” And that’s just what she did. You can see both of the great performances below.

Kree also performed with Season 14 American Idol judge Keith Urban. The perfumed a duet of Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make it Through the Night.”

Will you continue to follow Kree Harrison’s career? Do you plan on buying her first album when it comes out?

Original content from American Idol 2013.

American Idol Season 10 champion Scotty McCreery stopped by The Tonight Show Monday night perform his new single “See You Tonight.”

Performing on The Tonight Show is still a pretty big deal, so good job with that, Scotty. And “See You Tonight” is a pretty solid summer song. It’s a fun and upbeat little love song. Scotty’s stage presence and mannerisms haven’t changed a bit since season 10. Neither has his styling and seemingly humble attitude.

Check out the video below. The song “See You Tonight” is available for download on iTunes. His sophomore album is do out later this year.

scottymccreery-seeyoutonight-leno by mjsbigblog

I hope someday we’ll again be able to report some good American Idol news, but that time isn’t now. The latest bad news to plague the dwindling series is that nine of the American Idol Summer Tour dates has been cancelled.

The tour was supposed to kick off June 29 but will now start July 19 and go through August 31. Or at least that’s the plan now. Don’t be surprised if more shows are cut.

“Due to production scheduling changes, the American Idol 2013 Tour will now begin on July 19th and go through the summer until August 31st,” a spokesperson said. “The Idols look forward to performing in 30 venues across the country.”

So they’re claiming it’s “production scheduling changes.”

The Dates affected:

• June 29 St. Louis, MO Chaifetz Arena
• June 30 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
• July 2 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
• July 5 Detroit, Michigan Joe Louis Arena
• July 6 Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena (rescheduled for August 12 in Trenton, NJ)
• July 8 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
• July 10 Broomfield, CO 1STBANK Center
• July 12 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay Events Center
• July 13 Ontario, CA Citizens Business Bank Arena
• July 14 Oakland, CA The Oracle Arena

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