US News

Mariah to judge on TV’s ‘Idol’

Mariah Carey will join “American Idol” this fall, leading a potential full-slate replacement of show judges, Fox announced yesterday.

Network President Kevin Reilly said Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler are definitely out for “Idol” next season, and Randy Jackson — the show’s last original judge — could be leaving, too.

“I am so excited to be starting ‘Idol,’ ” Carey, 42, told a gathering of TV critics. “I can’t wait to get started.”

“Idol” remains one of TV’s most popular shows, averaging 17 million viewers per episode this past season.

But numbers for the venerable franchise — that’s brought America stars like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson — are declining. This past year’s finale was down 32 percent from the last episode of 2011.

For eight initial “Idol” seasons, viewers could count on acid-tongued Brit Simon Cowell, loopy singer/dancer Paula Abdul and name-dropping record producer Jackson to entertain them each week.

But there’s been a revolving door at “Idol” in the past four years.