Jackson to remain 'Idol' judge

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Randy Jackson will return as a judge for Season 12 of "American Idol" after weeks of rumors claiming he would shift into a mentor position.

TVGuide.com said Jackson, the last original judge on the singing competition series, will be back for another season now that talks between show producers and singer Enrique Iglesias have ended.

Iglesias was in the running to become a judge alongside incoming Grammy Award winner Mariah Carey.

Pop star Nicki Minaj and country artist Keith Urban are close to signing deals to join Carey and Jackson on the panel, TVGuide.com said Monday.

The cast change follows the departure of Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez at the end of last season.