Longtime American Idol judge Randy Jackson, who moved to a mentoring role last season, is leaving the show altogether. Jackson, one of the show’s three original judges, along with Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul, when it made its debut in 2002, said in a statement via his publicist: “After 13 seasons I felt now was the perfect time to leave American Idol.” He added that he was proud to have been part of a series “that discovered some incredible talents.” The musician’s departure will leave Ryan Seacrest as the only on-camera talent from the show’s beginnings.
