American Idol: Steven Tyler Officially Out!

Aerosmith frontman admits his Idol duties caused him to stray from his "first love," the band

By Jenna Mullins Jul 12, 2012 9:06 PMTags
American Idol, Steven Tyler Frank Micelotta / FOX

Steven Tyler will no longer be at the judging table on American Idol—a judging table that's starting to look emptier and emptier!

Fox confirms the Aerosmith frontman's exit from its staple reality series, calling his seasons on the show a "tremendous honor." Tyler himself reveals that his decision to depart Idol was because he strayed from his "first love."

"After some long...hard...thoughts…I've decided it's time for me to let go of my mistress American Idol before she boils my rabbit," Tyler says in a statement. "I strayed from my first love, Aerosmith, and I'm back—but instead of begging on my hands and knees, I've got two fists in the air and I'm kicking the door open with my band. The next few years are going to be dedicated to kicking some serious ass—the ultimate in auditory takeover. On Nov. 6, we are unleashing our new album, Music From Another Dimension on the Earth, Moon, Mars, and way beyond the stars…Idol was over-the-top fun, and I loved every minute of it…Now it's time to bring Rock Back. ERMAHGERD."

For those not up to date on Internet slang, "ERMAHGERD" is another term for "Oh my god!"

"It's been a tremendous honor to have Steven—one of the most prolific artists in the world—on American Idol for the past two seasons," Mike Darnell, president of alternative entertainment for Fox, says in a statement. "He's been a terrific judge, a true friend and great mentor to everyone involved with the show, and we know he'll continue to be a huge inspiration to Idol hopefuls for years to come. We are very sad that Steven has chosen to focus more on his music, but we always knew when we hired a rock 'n' roll legend, he would go back to the music.  We all wish him all the best and would love to have him back on the show anytime."

Tyler's exit comes the very same day Jennifer Lopez appeared on the Today show and confirmed the E! News report that she also wants out of Idol.

"Maybe it's time for me to go," she said. "It's been on my mind a lot, as you can imagine. And now it's like, do we continue on this journey? I've loved it so much. I enjoy the show so much...It's a tough decision either way."

This week, E! News also revealed that Idol has been looking to shake up its entire judging panel, with Adam Lambert, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and many others being considered to take over.

Did you like Tyler as a judge on Idol? Or are you happy to see him go?