During the Television Critics Association Summer tour in Beverly Hills today, the President of Fox Television got on a cell phone and called Mariah Carey!  He made the announcement with Mariah on the phone that she would be joining American Idol as the next judge!

Mariah says, “I can’t wait to get started in a couple months.”  It is rumored that she will be making the same $12 million salary that Jennifer Lopez received for her first season of American Idol.

I think the best part about this is the fact that maybe it will intimidate potential contestants from butchering her songs in the audition phase!  Maybe?!