Fox is reportedly prepping an all-alum panel of judges for the next season of American Idol by lining up Jennifer Hudson and possibly Kelly Clarkson.
E! Online is reporting that "multiple sources" have confirmed that the Dreamgirls Oscar winner has signed a deal for Season 13 of the show, which has seen a serious dip in ratings.
The show is also said to be wooing other former Idol contestants Kelly Clarkson, with the third spot supposedly going to either Adam Lambert or Clay Aiken. According to E!, the producers want to keep the panel to just three members.
"It's Idol alums bringing in the next generation," one Fox source tells E! Online of the approach for next season, a marked change from the recent high-profile celebrity panels that included Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.
Longtime judge Randy Jackson has officially quit the show and Season 12's celeb judges Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey and Keith Urban are not expected to return either.
Fox has not commented on Hudson's casting.
It sounds like Fox is hoping a show packed with former contestants who have gone on to successful careers will woo back viewers, who have abandoned the former ratings phenom in droves.
