After weeks of speculation, it has been confirmed that Mariah Carey will be joining American Idol as a judge. Apparently the show can afford Carey, Nick!

Fox President Kevin Reilly announced at the TV Critics Association press tour that the 42-year-old singer will join the Idol judge’s dais for season 12 of the hit show, having just closed the deal hours before, reports EW. Carey herself expressed her excitement at the prospect of joining the show. “I am so excited to be joining Idol. I wish I could have been there myself to tell you. It all kind of just happened real quickly. I can’t wait to get started in a couple months…I will see you in January!”

Reilly himself seemed star-struck over Carey’s willingness to be involved with the show, reports E!Online. “It’s the biggest recording artist than any of these shows have ever had. It’s an artist many of these contestants have tried to emulate. [The deal] only concluded only hours ago. Not being the only game in town, we need to keep things fresh.”

Reilly didn’t divulge any other information about judges, the casting process, or the show’s aesthetic moving forward. He also didn’t directly address whether longtime host Randy Jackson would return, reports the Huffington Post. “We have the biggest names in the business interested in doing the job. It’s going to be a matter of finding the right chemistry and making a deal. Randy has been working with Mariah for a long, long time. Randy was instrumental in doing this deal.”

It is not known how long Carey will commit to Idol, or what her exact salary will be. Regardless, her take-home is expected to be somewhere between $12 and $17 million.

More confirmation of the American Idol – Mariah Carey deal via Twitter:

It’s official! @MariahCarey has joined #Idol as a new judge!!!

— American Idol (@AmericanIdol) July 23, 2012

It’s gonna be so much fun working on @AmericanIdol. As a singer-songwriter, I’m excited to help find and nurture new talent. LYM! –MC

— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) July 23, 2012

It’s Official: Mariah Carey Becomes ‘American Idol’ Judge is a post from: The Inquisitr