by Sun Meilan

Created on: March 09, 2013

When Simon Cowell left "American Idol" in 2010 to concentrate on his other ventures, many people were concerned that the show wouldn’t be able to last without him. Nevertheless, the show has remained in the public eye and, despite competition from "The Voice" and "The X Factor," talented singers have continued to participate in the show. Many suggest that the standard of the singers has increased with each season and there have undoubtedly been some outstanding singers who have been voted out before the end of the competition simply because of the high standards. Yet, although the use of the word "evolve" suggests that "American Idol" has developed in a positive way since Simon’s departure, there have also been some negative repercussions.

Whether viewers liked Simon Cowell or not, there is little doubt that his acerbic, sometimes soul-destroying comments made great television. Many people watched the show simply to see what he was going to say next. Since 2010, the viewing figures have dropped with each passing season. Figures suggested that the season 11 finale in 2012 was the least-watched ever and, according to figures for the premiere of season 12 in 2013, there was a drop of 19 percent compared with the première of season 11. That is despite the introduction of three new judges – Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban.

The judges have been an issue for "American Idol" in recent seasons. The initial combination of Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson worked well and remained the same for the first seven seasons. In season 8, the problems began with Kara DioGuardi joined as a fourth judge. She didn’t attract a huge fan base and, when Paula Abdul left before season 9, the camaraderie between the judges came to an end. However, Cowell was still there and his presence kept the majority of viewers happy. Since he left and Jackson has taken on the unofficial title of head judge, the dynamics have changed and not for the better.

Both Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler are highly respected in the music industry, but that seemingly wasn’t enough, in combination with Jackson, to keep viewers happy. Now that they have left, and Carey, Minaj and Urban have joined up with Jackson, the enthusiasm of fans is continuing to wane – it is clear that there is more to a good and entertaining judge than his or her music chops, no matter how talented they are. The constant changes should be bringing new and fresh ideas to the show, but instead,

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