Philippine Idol judges panel complete

Philippine Idol's panel of judges is complete.

A Philippine Idol press release published on page A16 of the Philippine Daily Inquirer dated May 30, 2006, announced the list of two additional Philippine Idol judges to join maestro Ryan Cayabyab for Philippine Idol, the ABC-5 reality talent competition set to launch sometime in July.

In addition to Cayabyab, the other two judges for Philippine Idol are Asia's Queen of Song Pilita Corrales and rapper/producer Francis Magalona, more popular known as Francis M.

The names of all three Philippine Idol judges - Ryan Cayabyab, Pilita Corrales, and Francis M - were announced by Perci Intalan, ABC-5's head of Creative and Entertainment Production. The Fremantle Media and 19 Entertainment-owned American Idol franchise, of which Philippine Idol is a part, calls for three Philippine Idol judges. While Cayabyab was a hand-picked Philippine Idol judge from the beginning, both Francis Magalona and Pilita Corrales submitted to Philippine Idol judge auditions and screen tests, and it was only after UK-based Fremantle Media reviewed the Philippine Idol audition tapes of both Corrales and Magalona that a go-signal was given for all three Philippine Idol judge candidates came together in workshops that allowed them to interact with each other to gauge their chemistry.

Intalan said that Cayabyab, Corrales, and Magalona's "Filipino"-ness, their passion for music, and their genuine concern for the contestants played major roles in their selection as Philippine Idol judges. ABC-5 made it clear that the selection of Philippine Idol judges was not to look for clones of American Idol judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell.