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One of the Biggest Reality TV Shows Just Announced Next Season Will Be Its Last
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One of the Biggest Reality TV Shows Just Announced Next Season Will Be Its Last

Bye bye.

The 2016 winner of American Idol will be the last one crowned by the groundbreaking reality TV show.

The news was announced via Twitter.

The show has fallen in the ratings over the past few years, dropping from a peak of more than 38 million viewers in 2003 to just over 10 million for last season's finale.

American Idol began as a summer replacement series in 2002. It quickly grew to a huge ratings draw for Fox television, crowning Kelly Clarkson as the first winner on September 4, 2002.

In addition to Clarkson, the best-selling American Idol winner to date, the show has developed success stories across the music spectrum with stars in Pop, R&B, Country, Rock and Gospel formats. Country megastar Carrie Underwood, for example, was the Season Four winner.

Season Two runner-up Clay Aiken also tried his hand at politics, running as a Democrat for a House seat in his home state of North Carolina. He lost.

Even American Idol losers can be big winners. In season three, Jennifer Hudson finished seventh. Hudson has gone on to win an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Grammy.

The final season of American Idol kicks off next January and will reportedly also include regular segments featuring flashbacks to memorable moments from the first 15 seasons.

Entertainment Tonight filed this report after the news of American Idol's demise hit the press.

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Follow Mike Opelka (@Stuntbrain) on Twitter.

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