Is America finally falling out of love with American Idol? There are signs that this might indeed be the case, after it emerged this week that ratings for the hugely popular US talent show have slumped significantly.

Despite a performance from the chart-topper Mariah Carey, last week the show registered its lowest viewing figures - 29 million - for five years. Even worse, of those switching off, around a fifth of were women between the ages of 18 and 34 and children under 11 - both of which groups are vital in terms of advertising demographics. The Los Angeles Times reckons that Simon Cowell & Co have been holed below the waterline, declaring that “the only unknown is how quickly the end will come”.

Precisely what has precipitated the audience exodus, however, remains unclear. Seven years after the programme's launch, it could be that audiences are simply getting bored with its rigid format: similar singers belting out the same old songs, before the same old judges. Or perhaps the fatal torpedo hails from our own shores; after all, it was only two weeks ago that Gordon Brown appeared on the show, making a charity appeal to combat malaria.

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