Jennifer Lopez back on American Idol

Jennifer Lopez has been confirmed as a judge on the new series of American Idol after a year away from the show.

Harry Connick Jr, who has previously been involved as a mentor, will also make his debut as a judge.

Country musician Keith Urban confirmed his return in August.

"I think this season of Idol is gonna be a blast," he said in a statement. "New team, new energy and a whole new field of artists to be discovered and given a chance."

The pair, who had already been rumoured for the panel, will join Urban as the first judging line-up consisting entirely of singers, like rival talent show The Voice.

Harry Connick Jr will be on the American Idol judging panel for the first time

Randy Jackson, who stepped down as a judge after the last season, has confirmed he will be returning as a mentor.

"Surprise, surprise! I am so happy to be back as part of this amazing show that started it all," he said.

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I think this season of Idol is gonna be a blast. New team, new energy and a whole new field of artists to be discovered and given a chance

Keith Urban

"The original talent show is back with a vengeance and ready to discover the best talent in America."

Ryan Seacrest is also making a return as host of the competition and said that "a new superstar is within our sights".

Ratings for the programme, which was based on ITV show Pop Idol, have fallen in the US over recent series.

There were complaints last year after arguments between judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj, who both announced their departure in May.

American Idol will return to 5* in early 2014 with production starting on the 13th series on Tuesday.

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American Idol Season 13: First Look at Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and Keith Urban in Action—See the Pic!

Michael Becker / FOX

First comes the official announcement, then comes the first look!

Hot on the heels of the official announcement that Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. will be joining Keith Urban on American Idol's judging panel for its 13th season, Fox has released the first photo of the judges in action. 

Though the judging panel was just announced, the trio is already hard at work as the begin auditions in Boston on Tuesday. Don't Urban, Lopez and Connick make quite the attractive judging team?! 

SCOOP: Connick is "honored" to join the Fox reality hit!

The trio has also been tweeting about their first day on the job. Connick tweeted, "So excited to be on @AmericanIdol!!! i've already judged my wife and daughters like three times this morning. do they sell gavels on amazon?" Lopez tweeted a cute photo of her fellow judge Connick, with the caption, "'Don't judge me' #firstdayquotes."

Urban, who is the only returning judge from season 12, took a playful dig at Connick, tweeting, "First day on the set of @AmericanIdol in Boston!! Absolutely loved working with Jennifer and Harry Styles!"

NEWS: Check out summer TV's most shocking moments!

Of joining the Fox reality hit's judging panel, Connick said, "I have always been a huge fan of American Idol and really enjoyed my time as a mentor on the show. And I am honored that they've asked me to be a judge this season. As an entertainer, I am truly excited to bring my perspective to American Idol, and to help emerging performers find their way."

And the judges' table isn't the only aspect of Idol getting a face-lift in season 13: Jimmy Iovine is vacating his role as the contestants' mentor with former judge Randy Jackson taking over. "Surprise, surprise! I am so happy to be back as part of this amazing show that started it all," Jackson said of returning to Idol. 

American Idol returns for its 13th season in January on Fox. 

PHOTOS: American Idol: All-Time Greatest Hits

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Royal baby: The American mistake

23 July 2013 Last updated at 15:40 GMT Magazine Monitor A collection of cultural artefacts Not a St George's Cross in sight Some US television networks proclaimed the royal baby news by welcoming the arrival of the "future king of England", forgetting about the rest of the UK.

Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish... you may want to look away now. Some of the biggest names in American broadcasting have overlooked your existence amid the hysteria surrounding the newborn Windsor. Star presenters on CBS News and ABC News were among the culprits who referred to the baby as "the future king of England". American talk show host Ellen DeGeneres tweeted: "It's a boy! So happy for my cousin Kate and the future King of England".

But there hasn't been a King of England since William III in the early 18th Century - and there won't be again, unless (or until) the United Kingdom splinters completely.

"The political state of the Queen's home nation is the 'United Kingdom', not England which is just one region within the country along with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland," says Robert Blackburn, a professor of constitutional law at King's College London. "The 'United Kingdom' is shorthand for the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'."

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"The structure of the English monarchy changed... when Wales was incorporated by the Act of Union of 1536. It changed once more in 1707 when Scotland was brought in to constitute the Kingdom of Great Britain.

"The Act of Union with Ireland in 1801 necessitated another change of name to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, which lasted until Southern Ireland was declared a Free State in 1921."

The Kings and Queens of Britain, by John Cannon and Anne Hargreaves

It's a common misunderstanding in the US. The New York Times angered many Scots when it marked Andy Murray's Wimbledon triumph with a tweet that said: "After 77 years, Murray and England rule"

But before Brits get too sniffy about this equation between Britain and England, we should acknowledge it's a pretty complicated business and the English are sometimes guilty of the same mistake. A common error is for the British themselves to forget about Northern Ireland by referring to "Great Britain", which is an island, when really they mean the United Kingdom. (The Northern Irish are "British" without being part of Great Britain.)

And remember that the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are British, but not part of the UK.

Head hurting yet?

America is a desire, says the OED

This is a two-way street, and getting to grips with the correct terminology stateside is also a tricky business. The United States of America is often referred to as "America" by British people, but consult the Oxford English Dictionary and you'll see that America is a desire, a place you yearn for. Of course, Simon and Garfunkel fans knew that already.

The distinction between America and the US is important, because there is another America, Latin America. Not to mention Central America, and the rest of North America (including Mexico and Canada).

So can we legitimately use "American" as an adjective referring to something from the US? If so, you're back in the Britain/British quagmire again. Perhaps the answer is for everyone to be tolerant, to embrace a bit of "constructive ambiguity"... and just toast the health of the future king.

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