Carey's On American Idol

A WIN CALLED MARIAH: As expected, Mariah Carey has been named a judge for the upcoming season of American Idol. The announcement was made by Fox President Kevin Reilly at today’s TV Critics Association confab. “I’m thrilled we could confirm that,” said Reilly, who called Carey up on his cell onstage. “I’m so excited to be joining Idol,” she said. As has been reported by Nikki Finke, Carey is believed to be receiving a paycheck in excess of $17 million, the most every paid to a judge, surpassing J. Lo’s previous high. Both Lopez and Steven Tyler will be leaving the show, with Reilly insisting the decision was “mutual.” “We came up on top, but ratings for Idol were down and we know we’re not the only game in town anymore, so we wanted to change things up,” he said. "Aside from that, Charlie Sheen and Jerry Lewis weren't available." The Randy Jackson-managed diva will release her new single, "Triumphant," in August. (7/23p)