Mariah Carey has been candid about her beef with “American Idol” in the past, but now that Fox has announced the show will end after a 15th season, the former judge is doubling down on how much she hated the experience.
The “Infinity” singer, currently in the midst of a Las Vegas residency, called in to an Australian radio show Thursday where the hosts asked if she would be open to returning for “Idol’s” final episode, should the producers ask.
“Hell no! Absolutely not. That was the worst experience of my life,” said Carey, who reportedly earned $18 million for one season as a judge alongside
“I don’t think they had any intentions for us to have a good experience during that show. Pitting two females against each other wasn’t cool,” Carey told
“It should’ve been about the contestants instead of some nonexistent feud that turned into even more ridiculousness.”
The diva even went as far as to call the show “fake,” saying it forced the judges to speak at length about the contestants’ performances, even when they had little to say.
“It’s so boring and so fake. I’m sorry. I just think — when I say it’s fake I mean, you have to make up things to say about people. When a performance is good, I want to say ‘it’s good’ and end it there,” Carey complained.
“Idol” will return in January for its final season, closing out with current judges Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr.
“We really wanted to do it in a way that felt special and celebratory,” Fox TV Group co-chairman and CEO Gary Newman recently said.
You can listen to Carey’s interview below.