Jennifer Hudson has signed up to be an 'American Idol' judge, and the Oscar-winning actress-and-singer has been confirmed as one of the panelists full-time for season 13 of the reality TV competition, according to E! News.
The revamped judging panel is expected to be formed entirely of former 'Idol' contestants, with season three star Jennifer sitting next to international superstar Kelly Clarkson - who won the first series - and either Adam Lambert or Clay Aiken.
Producers on the Fox show hope the high-profile alumnus will reclaim some of their lost ratings as it has lost 10 million viewers in the last two years, largely because of rival programme 'The Voice'.
An insider commented: 'It's 'Idol' alumnus bringing in the next generation.'
Jennifer went on to have one of the most successful careers out of all the past contestants, winning an Academy Award in 2006 for Best Supporting Actress for musical movie 'Dreamgirls', despite not having won the show.
Bruno Mars was previously rumoured to be a hot contender for the judging role in a bid to attract a younger generation of viewers.
The shake-up comes after current judges Randy Jackson and Nicki Minaj announced they would not be returning. It has now been confirmed that Keith Urban and Mariah Carey have also departed the show.
