Wiki edit Jonny / WikiCommons
Just moments after the closing of the ninth season of American Idol the new winner Lee DeWyze searched for the show’s top judge Simon Cowell. “Where is he?” After they hugged, Mr. DeWyze said, “Can we get another round of applause for Simon?” This ninth season marked the end of Cowell’s run on the highly rated musical reality show.
This finale event was watched by over 24 million viewers which make it lowest in the ratings since the finale of the show’s first season. The competition this year did not generate nearly as much viewer interest as previous seasons have attracted.
The show’s overall drop of 9 per cent in ratings must certainly create some anxiety for the producers of the show. Especially considering that they are now preparing for a new season without Simon Cowell to begin airing in the winter.
Even with the decrease in ratings for this year’s finale American Idol still remains dominant in the viewing world. Idol attracts more viewers than any nonsports show currently on television.
Paula Abdul who is a former judge on the hit show returned for the farewell of Cowell to remind and reassure viewers that even with his departure the show will continue. Mr. Cowell said of the show, “It’s been a blast.”
Asked whether he thought “Idol” was getting tired in its ninth season, Mr. DeWyze said, “Anything that’s been around for a long time has its bumps, but like anything else, it rejuvenates itself.” In a separate interview, Mr. DeWyze called Mr. Cowell a “good dude” who “knows what he’s talking about.”
The reason DeWyze was looking for Simon Cowell in his own words was simply this: “This is his last year. I wanted to say thank you for everything, and that I appreciated it all.”
