Mariah Carey Says Time On ‘American Idol’ Was A ‘Bleak Experience’

Mariah Carey does not look back fondly on her time as a judge on the popular singing competition, American Idol.

The diva, who is currently promoting her series of shows in Las Vegas this year, spoke about the experience during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Thursday, June 7.

Mariah Carey Slams 'American Idol'

To recall, years ago, the Grammy-winning singer joined Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban, and Randy Jackson on the judging panel of the singing competition of Fox. The 48-year-old stayed on the show for one season before she left and was replaced by Jennifer Lopez.

While she never cited a reason for her swift exit, many assumed that Carey jumped the boat because of the show's declining ratings. This week, fans finally learned why she left the show.

While talking about her show in Las Vegas, Kimmel brought up that Lionel Richie, too, also has an ongoing residency in the Sin City. The late-night television host asked if she ever bumped into the singer and whether she spoke to him about American Idol.

"Is it true that you told him not to do American Idol when he was thinking about whether or not he should judge it?" He asked.

"If I didn't, I should have," the world-renowned diva cheekily responded.

She clarified that, while she thinks the "Hello" singer would be a great judge and mentor to aspiring singers, she personally did not have a good experience with the competition.

"It was bleak, darling," the 48-year-old divulged. "It was a bleak experience. We don't have to go back there, but there were some good hairstyles. We'll stick to the positive."

Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj 'American Idol' Beef

While she did not reveal specifics, probably part of the reason why she does not look back on the experience fondly is her rumored on-and-off-screen feud with Minaj. The two divas sparred with not-so-subtle digs at each other that, apparently, was not acting.

Carey spoke about the beef with her and the "Barbie Tingz" rapper back in 2015, blaming American Idol for the drama.

"I'm not going to get into what it was, but let's just say I don't think they had any intentions for us to have a good experience doing that show," she told Australia's Kyle and Jackie O (via The Hollywood Reporter). "Pitting two females against each other wasn't cool."

In an interview in 2013, Minaj also spoke about the off-screen drama and revealed that Carey did not want her sitting on the panel. She said she over-compensated by acting crazier which might have aggravated the tension.

While the two female artists never made peace (at least, in public), both of them have moved on and are busy with their careers. Carey will kick off "The Butterfly Returns" series of concerts in Las Vegas in July. Meanwhile, Minaj is prepping for the release of her anticipated new album, Queen.

Watch the "Hero" singer diss American Idol below.

Tags

Mariah Carey, American Idol, Lionel Richie, Jimmy kimmel, Nicki Minaj