Jennifer Lopez will not be a part of American Idol Season 11

Just when we got used to the new team of judges on "American Idol," rumor has it that one of them may be flying the coop.

The ever-so-busy Jennifer Lopez may have too much on her plate to make the "Idol" commitment for Season 11. Lopez, who juggles a plethora of careers (actress, pop star, Most Beautiful Woman in the World) could be kissing her lucrative "Idol" judging position buh-bye.

The reason? J-Lo may be too busy, with several projects in the works in the upcoming year, including a proposed Latin singing competition show with hubby Marc Anthony.

In an interview with BBC radio, Lopez said, ""I haven't been forced to make a decision [about returning to the show] and I'm glad about that. I loved it, but I have a lot of other things happening and it's going to come down to me making a choice of what I want to do for the next year."

The departure of J-Lo could hurt "Idol," as fans may be tiring of the revolving door of judges. Of course, if "Idol's" resident glamor girl was to leave he show, there are plenty of pop divas who could attempt to fill her shoes (Mary J. Blige was extremely entertaining when she stepped in as a judge during the Season 9 auditions. And Shania Twain has been a longtime friend of the show, serving as both a mentor and a judge.)

But when it came to her time at the judges' table, J-Lo we hardly knew ye!

She was just starting to bust out as a judge, after her nice-gal start on the show (fellow judge Steven Tyler never really broke out of the nice-judge mold, calling everything every contestant did last season "beautiful.")

While we hope J-Lo does make a return to "Idol" for Season 11, here's a look back at a few of her most memorable moments on the show:

*Contestant Tim Halperin may have made a faux pas when he asked Lopez her age during the auditions (didn't his mom teach him never to do that?) But while J-Lo didn't give him a definitive answer, she did say, "I'm young enough for you, don't worry!"

*J-Lo seemed a tad stunned when contestant Casey Abrams planted a wet smooch on her after singing the Maroon 5 song, "Harder to Breathe." But she did admit, "Casey got soft lips!"

* She gave this advice to "Idol" runner up Lauren Alaina: "Practice singing in the shower." To Paul McDonald she said, "You're the complete package. All you need is a good producer and you're there." And to contestant Ashthon Jones, Lopez said, "You've got all the makings of a diva," to which Jones replied, "I get it from you."

Lauren Alaina,‘American Idol’ play like a country duo

In their own style, Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina are the newest duo on the country scene.

Just a week following the season finale of “American Idol,” the teenagers were together doing press like a team — and this team doesn’t roll alone: They’re equipped with publicists, security guards, managers, record label extras and their real bosses: their mothers.

McCreery beat Alaina to become the Season 10 champ, but the fact that they are both young country singers with similar goals puts them on the same career track.

Ahead of their “Idol” Top 11 tour — which starts next month — they are in Nashville to begin prep on their debut albums.

“We’re going to work with the record people down there and get some songs straightened out, and hopefully I’ll get to listen to them, get to learn them,” McCreery said.

“American Idol” — the No. 1 rated show on TV — can make you a star, but not all of the show’s winners actually come out on top. Remember Taylor Hicks? What about Ruben Studdard?

Alaina, 16, thinks country music fans are what kept her and McCreery in the running.

“Well, country fans are really loyal, so I think that’s why Scotty and I did so good,” she said. “We’re young and so we appeal to a younger crowd, and I think that the combination of those two things really helped us out.”

McCreery, a 17-year-old from Garner, N.C., said growing up, his friends listened to Backstreet Boys and ’N Sync, while he jammed to Elvis and Johnny Cash.

“I guess you could say I was the weird one. But, no, I was the one who listened to good music,” he said. McCreery says that uniqueness — along with his baritone/bass voice — is what led to his victory.

“With the album I just want to establish myself as an artist and put my stamp on that album,” he said. “My main focus is going to be country music. That’s what I grew up with and what I love.”

So far, the country world has been accepting: McCreery and Alaina’s first singles have hit the Top 40 on the country charts and the Top 20 on the pop charts. Their label, Mercury Nashville, ran an ad in the Billboard Country Update, a Web newsletter, welcoming the singers and thanking “country radio for a great start.”

But McCreery may already be on the pop route: His song, “I Love You This Big,” was co-written by Ester Dean, whose writing credits include No. 1 hits for Rihanna (“S&M,” “Rude Boy,” “What’s My Name?”) and Katy Perry (“Firework”). Dean has also written for Nicki Minaj and Usher.

“[Dean has] written a lot of other pop and R&B songs as well, so ... if we can get that kind of flavor in my songs and make it country and still make it current, then that would be fine with me,” McCreery said.

When asked if he felt pressure to match the success of Underwood — or surpass the disappointing sales from albums by Lee DeWyze and Kris Allen — the teen seems unfazed.

“I wouldn’t call it pressure,” he said. “I want to go out there and make the best record that I can, and I think if I do that people will buy it. It’s just up to me to put good songs on the album and get songs on that thing that people want to hear.”

Then he paused and said: “I guess that’s kind of pressure.”

Nikki Reed and "Paul" an American Idol

Just a few months ago, Nikki Reed and Paul McDonald were strangers.Now the couple, who met in March at the premiere of Red Riding Hood, are engaged and looking for a home together.



"I've never met anyone like him," the Twilight actress, 23, told PEOPLE in May of the American Idol contestant, 26. "I've never met anyone who has such a good solid heart and comes from such a good solid family and is just a genuine person."

After confirming the two were "officially dating," the singer told PEOPLE that Reed was supportive of his Idol elimination in April – very supportive. "She is actually pumped," he said. "She said, 'Dude, you finally get to do your thing and be yourself and be the artist you are.' "

He continued: "She is happy about the whole situation. She has been nothing but cool to me."


The couple had plenty to celebrate in May: their love – and Reed's 23rd birthday.

Before cozying up on the dance floor at Gallery Nightclub in Las Vegas, Reed and McDonald enjoyed a romantic romp on Catalina Island, where they marked the milestone more privately.