Jennifer Hudson Next ‘American Idol’ Judge? Singer In Talks


Jennifer Hudson could be the next judge on American Idol, according to a Thursday report from Vulture. The former contestant has been one of the show’s most successful alumni since losing out in the finals of the third season.

Hudson has reached the pinnacle of both the acting and music professions, capturing a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for the 2006 film Dreamgirls and a Grammy for her self-titled 2009 R&B album.

An inside source revealed that Hudson has entered the negotiation phase, which could take as long as six months amid big changes planned for season 13 of the once popular singing competition that has taken a hard fall as of late.

At the height of its success, American Idol drew 37 million viewers. That number had taken a tumble in season 11 with the finale bringing in just 21.5 million viewers. But those numbers were welcome in comparison to this month’s season 12 finale.

Only 14.3 million viewers tuned in to watch Candice Glover take home the crown. Compared to its glory days, that number represented a drop of more than 61 percent. And that wasn’t even the worst of it. In March, it hit a ratings low of just 12 million viewers.

In a separate report from The Wrap, an insider source told the website that the show’s producers are well aware of the mistakes they’ve made to reach this point.

“The show’s producers feel they’ve lost their core audience,” the source said. “And they want to bring back former contestants in order to tell their core audience, ‘We love you.’ They know they’ve made some major mistakes over the past few seasons and they want to make it right with their fans.”

Two of the planned changes: shifting back to the original three-judge panel and reaching out to Hudson as well as (rumored) Kelly Clarkson. The “Stronger” songstress, who also had a brief turn on the reality singing competition Duets (as judge) could join Hudson, though this report, too, is not confirmed and said to be “in negotiations.”

Do you think Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson would be good additions to the American Idol judging panel?

[Image via Anton Oparin / Shutterstock.com]

Share this article: Jennifer Hudson Next ‘American Idol’ Judge? Singer In Talks
More from Inquisitr