'American Idol' Season 14 Auditions, Judges, Premiere: Randy Jackson Quits; Adam Lambert to Replace Him?

On Tuesday, "American Idol" original judge Randy Jackson has confirmed his exit from the long-time Fox reality singing contest. The Hollywood Reporter noted that the judge-turned-mentor's departure leaves show host Ryan Seacrest as the only-returning cast from the original team.

The news may not be very surprising for those who have tracked "Idol" in its last seasons, when Jackson first bid goodbye as a judge after Season 12. He came back as a mentor on Season 13, taking over Jimmy Iovine's spot.

Jackson declared over Deadline, "After 13 seasons, I felt now was the perfect time to leave American Idol."

"I'm proud to have been a part of a series that discovered some incredible artists and will go down in history as one of the most successful television shows ever. A true original, Idol started it all. Onto what's next," he added.

He's leaving for real, this time. That leaves fans questioning who could be his best replacement.

According to TVLine, hopes are up that executive producer Per Blankens selects a mentor without basis on "name recognition." The outlet cited decline in last season's ratings, providing insight that the upcoming season may need a mentor who's willing to embed himself with the contestants -- ultimately tapping their undiscovered potentials.

Now all eyes could be staring at Adam Lambert, whom THR calls in another report as one of the "most successful" in the "Idol" family. In essence this could be true. Even if the 32-year-old Indiana native failed to bag the title in Season 8, he has returned to the franchise's Seaons 9 and 13 to mentor and coach aspiring Idols.

Lambert has established himself in the music industry by owning superb vocals and rocking prowess. He is a Tenor with a vocal range of 3 Octaves and semitone B2-B5, said Diva Devotee. Although he can't do a whistle register like Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande, Lambert has pulled off notes just as impressive, just like in this video. His range is noted to be higher than Justin Bieber (2 Octaves 1 note and semitone C#3-E5) and Sam Smith's (2 Octaves 4 Notes).

Meanwhile, Lambert is gearing up for his third studio album, the follow-up to his 2012 work "Trespassing." He answered one user who asked about the album's release, "No but getting close."

The singer also addressed rumors claiming a collaboration between him and Pop princess Britney Spears. He said in another tweet, "Def JUST a rumor."

Lambert has recently toured with legendary rock band Queen, wrote Inquisitr. Three U.K. visits had been added to their tour, as reported by Unreality TV.

"American Idol" Season 14 premieres on Jan. 14, 2015 at Fox, said Hollywood Life.

Watch Season 14 auditions here.