Think of how much Hello Kitty merchandise she can buy now! Mariah Carey, who we previously told you was rumored to be replacing Jennifer Lopez for the next season of American Idol, has just been confirmed officially and we’re VERY excited by the news! She’s reported to be making somewhere in the 12-17 million dollar range for the gig. Nice work if you can get it…

Kevin Reilly, the Fox entertainment president, said: “It’s the biggest recording artist than any of these shows have ever had. It’s an artist many of these contestants have tried to emulate. [The deal] only concluded only hours ago. Not being the only game in town we need to keep things fresh.”

We can totally see Mariah being great about this! What do you think? Will you be more likely to tune in now or less that she’s a judge? And who else would you like to see join the judges? Let us know in the comments!