The Great American Idol eviction continues at full speed with Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey being the latest two to get the boot. Nobody is entirely shocked by the news though, as this seemed to be looming over the judges’ heads. With the last season, which ended with Candice Glover being crowned as the winner pulled in the lowest viewing figures of any American Idol year – with just 14.2 million people tuning in to watch the finale – it was clear something was amiss. Apparently the (truly impressive) level of conflict and drama that Minaj and Carey brought to the format, wasn’t enough to get the audience to pay attention. Rumors of firings and a complete restructuring of the judging panel have also been rampant ever since the show’s disappointing finale. It was only a matter of time.

Both Nicki and Mariah announced the news if their respective departures over Twitter and Fox released statements regarding both decisions, which, considering the circumstances, was the very least they could do.

"Mariah Carey is a true global icon - one of the most accomplished artists on the planet - and we feel extremely fortunate that she was able to bring her wisdom and experience to the 'American Idol' contestants this season," Fox said, via Reuters.

Kind words weren’t spared on Nicki either, with the network’s statement reading: "Nicki Minaj is a superstar who brought a level of honesty and passion to 'American Idol'" and who had a tremendous positive impact on so many contestants this season. Given her extremely busy career, we understand and respect her decision and wish her the best."

Well, it appears to be a clean break – or at least Fox has made it seem so. Now the only thing left is to wonder (briefly) who they might pull for next season’s panel. Also whatever happened to Keith Urban?

Mariah Carey, Good Morning AmericaNicki Minaj, Billboard Music Awards
Despite Mariah (left) and Nicki's best efforts, it just wasn't meant to be.