american idol

It’s official! The upcoming 15th season of American Idol will be the last.

Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and Keith Urban will return as Season 15 judges, along with host Ryan Seacrest. 

Back in the day American Idol was *the* show. It was the last regularly scheduled TV show to average over 30 million viewers; 30.3 million viewers in Season 5 in 2006. Heck, 38 million people tuned in to watch the season two finale with Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard! But lately ratings are hovering around less than 9 million viewers

“American Idol,” created by Simon Fuller, first debuted in 2002 with original judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson though they’ve been through the celebrity judge gambit: Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Steven Tyler, Kara DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres. Some of the big Idol winners and competitors were Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, Katharine McPhee, Chris Daughtry, Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Phillip Phillips and Adam Lambert.

Will we see any of them back for this last season? It sure sounds like it. They’ve said that, in addition to finding that very last “Idol”, this season will be a “celebratory event” that will pay tribute to past contestants, winners and fans.

There will probably be less episodes than other seasons too but no official word yet on the exact number.

The fifteenth and final season will premiere January 2016.