Randy Jackson - Randy Jackson Exit Paves The Way For Nicki Minaj

However, this one's a big surprise, stalwart judge Randy Jackson is reportedly going to leave his role, according to Tmz, leaving another spot wide open for the taking. Mariah Carey was snapped up for a whopping deal last month, replacing one of the slots left by Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. However, Jackson's gone which means someone else will be coming. Bosses apparently wanted Kanye West or P Diddy, but that's not going to happen, whilst a fourth slot is likely to go to a country artist.

One name who is apparently about to jump on board is Nicki Minaj, with the deal 99 per cent done according to Tmz. However, this in itself could cause issues as Carey is known not to be a fan of the star joining the panel; that's exactly what the producers want, apparently, as the friction between them could provide great TV, but we wonder whether Carey might have one of her infamous strops if she's forced to work with her. Interesting times at Fox.