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Jennifer Lopez has been confirmed as returning to American Idol.
The On The Floor singer will be joined by singer Harry Connick Jnr and returning judge Keith Urban when the show comes back for its 13th season next year.
The 44-year-old pop star is coming back to the panel after appearing as a member in 2011 and 2012 and will command a hefty pay cheque, thought to total as much as $17,5 million (R175 million).
Randy Jackson, who retired from his role as judge earlier this year, will still appear, but as an in-house mentor to acts.
Describing the judging panel, Kevin Reilly ? chairman of entertainment at network Fox ? said, "Jennifer Lopez, the triple-threat global superstar who loves [Idol] and whom Idol fans love; Harry Connick Jnr, 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."
The shake-up of judges comes after last year’s series ? which saw Keith and Randy joined by Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj ? suffered a dip in ratings.
-Bang Showbiz
