Candice Glover will be up against Kree Harrison in the grand finale, as longtime judge Randy will leave the show at the end of this season.
- May 10, 2013
AceShowbiz - It will be a battle between an R&B diva and a country music beauty in "American Idol" season 12 finale. Candice Glover and Kree Harrison will be battling it out for the champion title as Angie Miller was sent home in the last elimination show of the season.
Candice, who closed the Wednesday performances show with her emotional rendition of "Somewhere", was believed to have had secured her place in the grand finale at the end of the night. Jimmy Iovine said of the 23-year-old, "If she goes home, I'm going with her."
Kree and the judges, meanwhile, were clearly shocked that she made it to the finale instead of Angie. Fighting back tears, Angie sang Colton Dixon's "Never Gone" as her goodbye song.
Judge Mariah Carey, meanwhile, unveiled the music video for her new duet with Miguel, "#Beautiful". Season 10 runner-up Lauren Alaina returned to perform her new song "Barefoot and Buckwild", and Alicia Keys catered the audience with her performance of "Tears Always Win".
Next week will not only be the time to find out the winner of "Idol" season 12, but will also mark the last time Randy Jackson sitting on the judging panel. The only remaining original judge announced earlier on Thursday, May 9 that he would be leaving the show after 12 seasons.
"Yo! Yo! Yo! To put all of the speculation to the rest, after 12 years of judging on American Idol I have decided it is time to leave after this season," the music producer said in a statement. "I am very proud of how we forever changed television and the music industry. It's been a life changing opportunity but I am looking forward to focusing on my company Dream Merchant 21 and other business ventures."
Words are, FOX will change the entire judge line-up of "Idol" for the next season following ratings decline. The Wrap also reports that executive producer Nigel Lythgoe may not be returning.
Randy's confirmation of his departure from the veteran singing competition comes hot on heels of Mariah's announcement that she dropped Randy as her manager.
