Simon Fuller Jokes About 2018 ‘American Idol’ Return While Accepting Emmy Governors Award

09/12/2016 mj santilli American Idol, Awards Shows 6

While accepting the Governors Award on behalf of American Idol Sunday night at the Creative Arts Emmy, creator Simon Fuller joked the show will be returning to FOX in 2018. He was just kidding, of course.

Via Variety

“Thank you for bringing the show back in 2018,” Fuller said to Fox Television Group chairman and CEO Dana Walden, who stood on stage next to him as he accepted the award, along with FremantleMedia Group’s CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz. He added, “We can’t wait to make it.”

Also during his acceptance speech, Fuller thanked executive producer Trish Kinane, saying that she’s in charge of the “future” of “American Idol.” As Fuller exited the stage, he teased to the audience, “See you in 2018!”

In presenting the award to “Idol,” the Television Academy’s Bruce Rosenblum said, “Its enormous audience may be the last of its kind,” noting that the show has earned 67 Emmy nominations.

Fuller quipped: “It’s been 15 years and this is the first Emmy we’ve actually won for the show — can you believe that?”

The award, which the Television Academy awards annually to honor “exceptional achievement in the television arts and sciences,” is the second Governors Award to be received by the iconic show. In 2007, the Fox singing competition won for its charity/fundraising episode Idol Gives Back.

Variety reached out to FOX. A spokesperson for the network confirmed that there are no plans to bring back “em>American Idol in 2018. There’s a good chance Fuller will end up divorced from control and profits over the show he helped create. It’s nice he can have a sense of humor about that. He was kidding…right?

2016 Creative Arts Emmy Awards Winners List

Ryan Seacrest was nominated in the Outstanding Reality Show category as host of American Idol, but lost to RuPaul of LOGOs RuPaul’s Drag Race. A win for Ryan would have been a nice bookend. Oh well.

About mj santilli 35132 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!
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