Keith Urban will return to 'American Idol'.

While the country crooner's fellow judges, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Randy Jackson, all quit the panel after the last series, Fox entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly confirmed Keith's return at a Television Critics Association session in Beverly Hills.

He told reporters the reality TV show ''really became too much about the judges'' and added ''the show's always been about the contestants''.

He also revealed former judge Jennifer Lopez is in talks to return to 'American Idol' for a third season.

Mr. Reilly was then asked about the changing panel of Fox's other pop star search show, 'The X Factor', with Simon Cowell the only original judge left.

Speaking about this year's line-up, which sees Paulina Rubio and Kelly Rowland join Simon and Demi Lovato, he said: ''I don't know that [the panel has] been a problem per se. You're trying to find four judges trying to find the right chemistry, I think the panel for the most part last year worked... Simon is a perfectionist. Demi was a great piece of the puzzle ... this year we've really got right.''