by Jen M. Hernandez

Created on: September 05, 2010

On June 11, 2002, American Idol premiered on the Fox network, quickly becoming one of the most popular television shows in America. For years, the three varying personalities of Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell played well off of each other. But in 2009, American Idol’s eighth season, things unexpectedly shifted when a fourth judge was added to the hit TV show’s line-up.

Suddenly, everyone wanted to know…who is Kara DioGuardi? More specifically, what makes her equipped to be the judge of aspiring singers? A singer-songwriter, record producer and music publisher, Kara DioGuardi carved a place for herself in American Idol history. 

As dedicated viewers became acquainted with Kara DioGuardi, rumors that Paula Abdul would leave the show commenced. Once these rumors were verified, the show’s creator Simon Fuller began an effort to replace Abdul and decided to do so with none other than Ellen DeGeneres.

However, the ninth season of American Idol proved to be the last for many of the judges. Simon Cowell announced his leaving the show in May. Ellen DeGeneres voiced her exit from the show shortly after. Finally, in early September, after weeks of speculation, Kara DioGuardi has announced that she too will be leaving the successful reality show.

DioGuardi released a statement on September 3rd stating that becoming a part of American Idol made her feel as though she’d “won the lottery” and that it has “truly been an amazing experience. I am grateful to FOX, FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment, as well as the cast, crew and contestants, for all they have given to me. I look forward to my next challenge, and want to thank everyone who has supported me. All the best to everyone on Season 10!"

Though no reason was given for DioGuardi’s sudden departure, she has said that she felt it would be the best time to leave. Could DioGuardi’s exit be motivated by Simon Cowell’s decision to discontinue with the show?

Last season’s decision to replace Paula Abdul with a comedian with absolutely no musical background certainly upset several loyal fans of the show. The only judge remaining is Randy Jackson, who’s been a part of the show since it’s inception. Though numerous speculations have been made about who will fill the open positions – some exciting, others horrifying – it is certainly a possibility that DioGuardi’s motivation for terminating her tie-in to the show is the fear that American Idol won’t be able to resuscitate itself after such an immense shift in the judge’s panel.

Still, fans are divided on the news. Will a new set of judges rejuvenate the show, or will it all just be the end of a wonderfully successful run?

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