'Idol' Producers Nigel Lythgoe, Ken Warwick Out

Fox confirms EPs exiting days after David Hill given oversight of show

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/8/2013 9:42:14 PM

Longtime American Idol executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick won't be returning to the singing competitions series next season, a Fox spokesperson confirmed on Saturday.

"The passion and dedication that Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick brought to American Idol guided the show to become a true cultural phenomenon," said Fox, FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment in a joint statement. "While we are saddened they will no longer be executive producers on the show, we are grateful for their tremendous contributions and look forward to continuing to work with them on additional projects."

On Twitter, Lythgoe said he was fired from the show, though he remains in business with Fox as executive producer and judge on So You Think You Can Dance. Warwick had been with the show since its 2002 premiere after working on the U.K.'s Pop Idol.

Their exits come as American Idol is undergoing a complete overhaul in the wake of ratings declining 25% in its most recent 12^th season. Three of its four judges -- Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj -- have confirmed their departures and this week longtime Fox Sports executive David Hill was tapped to oversee both Idol and The X Factor while Fox searches for a permanent replacement for reality chief Mike Darnell, who is leaving the network at the end of June.