Simon Cowell "had a blast" on 'American Idol'.
Simon Cowell
The music mogul was one of the original judges on the talent show and he has paid tribute to producers Fox for "taking a risk" on the programme following yesterday's (11.05.15) news that it is to end next year after 15 seasons.
Simon - who was joined on the judging panel in the first seasons by Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson - said in a statement: "We had a blast! Me, Paula, Randy, Ryan [Seacrest, host] -- and not forgetting Brian [Dunkleman, season one co-host]. Thanks to the fans we were able to make some great shows and found some amazing artists.
"Fox took a risk on a brand new show and I want to thank them for giving us the opportunity. They really were great times."
Simon - who quit the show in 2010 to launch 'The X Factor' in America - also thanked the entire country for enjoying the show for so long.
He tweeted: "Looking back at my time on American Idol we had a great time. We found great artists. Had fun. And to America. Thank you. It was a blast.(sic)"
Meanwhile, the show's presenter Ryan Seacrest finds it "hard to imagine" life without 'Idol'.
He tweeted: "next year will be our final season of @AmericanIdol :( this show's been a big part of my life for so long... hard to imagine it w/out it (sic)"
Original co-host Brian managed to see the funny side of the show's cancellation.
He tweeted: "I knew American Idol would never last without me #CANCELLED (sic)"
The announcement that the show would be ending was made yesterday (11.05.15).
The final series will air in January, with judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. all returning to the panel.
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