Randy Jackson is leaving and this time he's serious: The Hollywood Reporter discovered on November 11 that the longtime contributor to American Idol would be leaving the show following 13 seasons of service.
Jackson started as one of the original judges—along with Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul—on the televised singing competition and ended up being the last to leave their role, having served as a judge for 12 seasons before stepping down during 2013. Although that was originally supposed to be his final exit from the show, producers managed to convoke him to come back for a mentorship role. After one season as a mentor, Jackson is hitting the road for good.
"Randy has been such an integral part of American Idol since Day 1, both as a judge and as a mentor," read a statement from Fox. "He's provided great advice and support, shaping the success of so many Idols we have discovered over the years. We wish him all the best in his next chapter. Randy will always be part of our Idol family and we hope he'll visit from time to time."
Jackson's stepping down leaves Ryan Seacrest, the longtime emcee for the program, as the only onscreen member of the original American Idol team. For the first time in a while however, the lineup of judges will remain the same for consecutive seasons: Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and Keith Urban will all return for Season 14 in January.
No word on what Jackson will be doing with his time now but we hope bass guitar is involved.
"I'm proud to have been a part of a series that discovered some incredible artists and will go down in history as one of the most successful television shows ever," he said. "A true original, Idol started it all. Onto what's next."
