Earlier this year, it was reported that veteran singer Mariah Carey would have a small guest part on the upcoming U.S. version of The X Factor. Now, reports are claiming that the show’s creator Simon Cowell is considering bringing Carey on board for a full-time position on the show.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Carey was originally asked to mentor contestants for the first episode or two of the season, but now sources at the show are saying that Cowell wants Carey to stay on and mentor contestants throughout the entire season.
“Mariah and Simon are great friends, and now [that] she has had her babies, it’s very possible that she will be involved [in] some way in the later stages of the show,” said a show insider. “She has always said she wanted to work with the show, so it’s something they will certainly be discussing ideas for soon.”
In April, Cowell spoke with radio personality Jackie Brown of 92.9 about his interest in having Carey on the show as well as his love for the “We Belong Together” singer.
“I think Mariah will have a role on the TV live shows,” said Cowell. “I met her recently and she was in great form. And her idea was to be the judge of the judges, which only Mariah could come up with.”
He added, “She’ll be involved in some form. I literally adore her. I love her to bits.”
Time will tell if Carey will join the show as a full-time cast member, but we have a feeling that an offer from Cowell will be hard for Carey to refuse. The X Factor premieres Sept. 21 on Fox. –nicholas robinson
