The tenth season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2011, and concluded on May 25, 2011, on the Fox television network. The show underwent a multitude of changes from the ninth season, including the return of Nigel Lythgoe as the executive producer. Randy Jackson returned as judge for his tenth season while Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler joined the judging panel following the departures of Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres.