Now that American Idol has dropped to an historic ratings low, the blame game has started, with most fingers pointing at Mariah.
“Mariah gained the most – $18 million from doing the show – and also has the most to lose,” one TV insider tells Naughty But Nice Rob.
Ryan Seacrest and Randy Jackson have been with the show from the beginning so it’s hard to blame them. Keith Urban is a sweet guy who was never billed as the star of the newly refreshed show, which leaves you with Mariah and Nicki Minaj.
“Nicki is a rising star who used Idol to expose herself to a much bigger audience, but it was Mariah who producers were expecting to bring in the viewers. No one would have cared about Nicki fighting with Randy or Keith – it was the fact she was fighting with Mariah that caused so much attention,” a source close to production says. “Mariah was positioned as the new main attraction, the star, and if the ratings had been great she would have received the credit. Unfortunately for her, she is now getting the blame.”
Since joining the judging panel at the show, Mariah has seen little jump in her new or old music sales. Aerosmith saw a 250% jump in sales when Steven Tyler become a judge.
“Inside Idol people are worried. “The Voice” is the new hit singing show making American Idol and its biggest star – Mariah – feel like yesterday’s news,” adds one TV executive. Ouch.
