Grammy-winning pop star Mariah Carey will join Fox television’s “American Idol” singing contest as a judge next season as the highly rated show fights to increase its audience figures.

    Kevin Reilly, president of entertainment for Fox Broadcasting, told television critics on Monday in Los Angeles that popular singer Carey will be one of the replacements for departing judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez.

    Tyler, the front man of rock band Aerosmith, announced his exit earlier this month to focus on his revived* music career. Lopez, too, has hinted at her departure in recent weeks and, on Monday, Reilly confirmed she will not return for the upcoming season.

    Reilly said the deal with Carey was finalized early on Monday and, in a dramatic move for TV critics at the conference, he called the singer on his cell phone to announce the deal.

    “Hi Mariah. How are you? I have just uttered your name for the first time. We do have a deal, don’t we?” Reilly said.

    Carey, answering on speakerphone, said: “I am so excited to be joining ‘Idol’... I wish I could have been there myself to tell you, but this all kind of just happened. I can’t wait to get started.”

    Carey, 42 and five-Grammys-winner, known for soaring ballads like “Hero” and “We Belong Together,” had been named in reports as a frontrunner* and she is expected to bring attention and viewers to the 11-year-old singing contest, which lost some 20 percent of its audience this past season. (SD-Agencies)