( CNN ) -- Randy Jackson , the last original `` American Idol '' judge , announced Thursday that he 's voting himself off the hit singing competition program after the current season ends . `` Yo ! Yo ! Yo ! To put all of the speculation to the rest , after 12 years of judging on 'American Idol , ' I have decided to leave after this season , '' Jackson said in a statement , released through his representative . Along with Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul , the musician and producer was one of three judges when the Fox show debuted in 2002 . It soon became a national sensation , topping the Nielsen charts as the nation 's most watched program for eight years running . In 2011 -- more than a year after CNN and others reported on the program 's ratings `` slide '' -- the `` American Idol '' Wednesday night show still topped the Nielsen yearly chart . No . 2 ? `` American Idol 's '' Thursday program . The streak ended last year , when NBC 's `` Sunday Night Football '' took Nielsen 's top spot . 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 . Jackson is the last original judge with Abdul 's departure and then Cowell 's several seasons ago . Ratings have decreased in recent years , as the show 's producers have tried several new judges -- this season 's include Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj -- to join Jackson . Fox representative Jill Hudson says the network has no comment on Jackson 's announcement . In his statement Thursday , Jackson said he was `` very proud of how we forever changed television and the music industry . '' `` It 's been a life-changing opportunity , but I am looking forward to focusing on my company , Dream Merchant 21 , and other business ventures , '' he added . Drake surprises 'Idol ' contestant . Was 'Idol ' looking at J . Lo to replace Mariah ? CNN 's Douglas Hyde contributed to this report .
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 ''