The doctor is in. E! News reports that songwriter and super-producer Dr. Luke, a.k.a. ?ukasz Sebastian Gottwald, will serve as the third judge for American Idol‘s forthcoming 13th season, joining returning talent Keith Urban and Jennifer Lopez. Rumors that the Katy Perry hit-maker was up for the job have been flying for days, ever since Us Weekly reported that Kanye West turned the gig down, deeming the FOX singing competition too “mainstream” for his avant-garde sensibilities.
Of course, since then, ‘Ye has appeared on the FOX daytime television program The Kris Jenner Show, hosted by the Kardashian matriarch, and performed on the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. The Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am was also evidently a contender for the position but passed in favor of coaching the U.K. edition of The Voice once again. Scooter Braun, manager for Justin Bieber, was another supposed candidate, but Gottwald ultimately won out.
Dr. Luke’s CV features a number of chart-topping hits, including songs by Britney Spears, Ke$ha, and Miley Cyrus, as well as “Since U Been Gone” by Idol alumna Kelly Clarkson. His confirmation comes just days after Deadline reported (via unnamed sources) that Interscope CEO Jimmy Iovine is leaving the program. Word is that his role as “in-house mentor” will be filled by former Idol judge Randy Jackson, who seems utterly incapable of ever actually quitting American Idol.
