Carey not returning to American Idol SINGER Mariah Carey says she isn't retuning as a judge on television show American Idol. The pop star's publicity firm, PMK BNC, tweeted on Thursday that Carey isn't returning to the Fox series and is planning a world tour thanks to the success of her new single, Beautiful. Carey became a new judge on Idol last year along with Keith Urban and Nicki Minaj. She and Minaj bickered on the show, creating a feud that was uncomfortable for both viewers and contestants. Randy Jackson announced that he was also leaving the show. Carey's new single, a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, features Miguel.