Randy Jackson was one of the judges when the show debuted in 2002 . Still , `` American Idol '' could take solace having already left other renowned TV shows -- `` Seinfeld , '' `` All in the Family '' and `` M*A*S*H '' among them -- in its wake having been America 's most popular program for the most consecutive seasons . With Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul out , he is the only judge that remains . Jackson said that it was his decision to leave ` ` American Idol ''
Randy Jackson was one of the judges when the show debuted in 2002 . With Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul out , he is the only judge that remains . Jackson said that it was his decision to leave ` ` American Idol ''