“American Idol” Season Six Champ Jordin Sparks Reacts to Show's Cancellation, Shares Hopes for Final Season

Image Courtesy Fox Broadcasting(LOS ANGELES) — Fox has announced that next year’s 15th season of American Idol will be the show’s last. And according to the network, it’s going out with a bang.

In a conference call with reporters, Fox TV Co-Chairman and CEO Gary Newman said deciding to cancel a show that’s dominated the ratings for so many years “was not an easy decision,” but added that they wanted to end American Idol “in a way that felt special and celebratory and treated the show the way it deserved to be treated.”

To that point, Newman said, “It is going to be a true season-long celebration. We’re already talking about surprises we can have for the fans to make it feel special and to send it off in a way that is as significant as the run it’s had on our network.”

Fox TV Group Co-Chairman & CEO Dana Walden added they’ve already begun talking to the show’s executive producers about season 15, explaining, “We’re having conversations with them about anything that you can imagine in terms of what would be celebratory, what would feel nostalgic and all of the things you might do that would send the show off in a way that feels memorable.”

No doubt many American Idol alumni are feeling disappointed at the news that the show that made them stars is coming to an end.  Season-six champ Jordin Sparks tells ABC Radio, “It is bittersweet, you know? I love all the shows that give everyday people a chance to live their dreams and American Idol was the original, so it’s gonna be sad not to see it on the airwaves anymore.”

In terms of the show’s impact, Jordin says that the show’s first winner, Kelly Clarkson “really changed everything.”  She explains, “For somebody to go from being on a singing competition TV show that people dubbed ‘the karaoke show,’ to go on to win Grammys and sell millions of albums and to go on sold-out tours and continue to do so up to this point, it really changed the game for pop culture, because then it was like, ‘Oh, I have a chance?'”

So what would Jordin like to see on the final season of American Idol?  “I think what would be cool…is that all the winners get to come back and get to mentor,” she tells ABC Radio. “You know, just everybody’s had a different experience…some people go and they do movies, some people do Broadway, some people have a Vegas residency. So I think it would be really cool obviously to have all the winners back.”

However, Jordin cautions, “We can’t lose focus on the contestants, because that’s what the show should always be about. So if they do start doing a lot ‘cause it’s gonna be celebratory, they just have to make sure that they remember the contestants.”

Overall, Jordin says the thing she’ll miss most about American Idol is that it gave so many people the opportunity to pursue music as a career.

American Idol really encouraged people to take that chance,” she tells ABC Radio, “And I think that that’s something that everybody can appreciate. It urged people, ‘Hey, come on out! The worst thing that can happen is you’re told “no,” ‘but you can still come on out and try to live your dream.’ And I think that’s great.” 


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