American Idol Crowns Harry Connick, Jr. As New Judge

American Idol simply won't just give up.

Returning judge Keith Urban alongside rehire Jennifer Lopez can now welcome new kid on the block Harry Connick, Jr., as one of American Idol season 13's new judge announced by Fox today.

Luckily Ryan Seacrest will be back to collect his much deserved check as well as veteran judge Randy Jackson, who quit back in May, a s an in-house mentor.

"American Idol has always been about discovering the next singing superstar, and next season our judging panel will deliver a most impressive combination of talent, wisdom and personality to do just that: Jennifer Lopez, the triple-threat global superstar who loves Idol and whom Idol fans love," Fox president Kevin Reilly said. "Harry Connick, Jr., a bona-fide musical genius and fantastic Idol mentor whose honesty and expertise can help turn these hopefuls into stars; Keith Urban, a multi-Grammy-winning artist who was such a positive force on the show last season. We are also very excited to have our friend Randy Jackson now in a new role as mentor, and the captain of our team–the heart and soul of Idol– Ryan Seacrest returning as host." 


BTW, Connick is no stranger to the show having been an Idol mentor a few times over.

Will you be tuned in AFTER the auditions?

The judges just like most kids around the world started school today with production in Boston but we'll have to wait until January to guess and see who will be back for season 14.