'American Idol' to end next season

Fox announced on Monday that it is cutting the chords of its famous musical reality show “American Idol” after its 15th season finishes next year.

Over the years, “Idol” helped catapult the careers of mega stars Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood and brought new fame to its former judge Simon Cowell.

While it has amassed massive ratings for the network, especially in its early years, the show has also spawned a number of spin-off competitions such as “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Voice” since its debut in 2002.

The farewell season of "Idol' will start in January with longtime host Ryan Seacrest and judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr.

The announcement was made as part of Fox's fall primetime lineup.