Over the weekend, Nigel Lythgoe, the longtime producer of American Idol, confirmed that he was fired from the struggling show. He still plans to work with the network for So You Think You Can Dance.
The departures of Lythgoe and his partner, Ken Warwick, were widely expected as the show continues to clean house. It was first reported last week by The Wrap that the two were leaving the show. Judges Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey are also leaving, while Keith Urban hasn’t officially said anything yet about his status.
Lythgoe tweeted on Saturday that he was fired, receiving the news right after he got back from a rainy Bahamas trip.
just had 10 days in the Bahamas, rain everyday. I get back to the States and get fired. Sad! Monday we choose our top 20. I'll smile again.
— Nigel Lythgoe (@dizzyfeet) June 8, 2013
He added that he will still be judging SYTYCD this summer.
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.
— Nigel Lythgoe (@dizzyfeet) June 8, 2013
According to Deadline, Fox later issued its own statement, confirming the news. “The passion and dedication that Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick brought to American Idol guided the show to become a true cultural phenomenon,” the network said. “While we are saddened they will no longer be executive producers on the show, we are grateful for their tremendous contributions and look forward to continuing to work with them on additional projects.”
Meanwhile, Fox’s parent company, News Corp., has tapped executive David Hill to run both Idol and The X-Factor.
image: Fox
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