Lopez can’t believe American Idol is over

Plus: Indian-American first vegetarian contestant on MasterChef USA; date set for Jon Stewart's last show; and podcast Serial set for two more seasons.

Jennifer Lopez. Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

It's a case of "say it ain't so" for Jennifer Lopez. The pop star and American Idol judge is holding out hope for the talent quest continuing after its scheduled cancellation at the end of its 15th season next year. Speaking from the Mawazine Festival in the Moroccan capital of Rabat, the 42-year-old declared her love for the show. "It is supposed to be the last season, I don't know if that's true," she said. "I love the show and I hope it goes on forever." Lopez also shed light on her social media habits. "I enjoy engaging with my fans on social media," she said. "I do engage on Facebook somewhat but Instagram is my favourite. I just like the visual medium of it." – The National staff

Look out for our interview with the pop diva soon in Arts&Life

Indian-American first vegetarian contestant on MasterChef USA

An Indian-American contestant on the competitive cooking reality show, MasterChef USA season six, is the first-ever vegetarian participant on the programme. Hetal Vasavada, 28, enjoys making desserts with traditional Indian spices such as turmeric, cumin, coriander and garam masala to create something uniquely Indian and American, reported India West, a leading publication for the Indian diaspora. She cleared the MasterChef audition with an apple pastry cup with cardamom whipped cream. Vasavada's interest in cooking was piqued while studying at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, where most of the students were Indian and longed for good, home-cooked meals. Inspired, she began cooking for the other students in her dorm. Vasavada said she ultimately would like to start her own cookie business and conduct consultations regarding different recipes and their potential for success in business ventures. The ongoing season six started on May 20. It has a total of 22 finalists and they are being judged by three world renowned chefs, including Gordon Ramsay. – IANS

Date set for Jon Stewart’s last show

After hosting for 16 years, in which he became one of America's most popular political satirists, Jon Stewart's last show will be on August 6. The Daily Show's new host, South African standup Trevor Noah, will take over on September 28. Comedy Central made the announcement on its website and with a brief video of Noah, 31, testing out the set in the studio and sitting in the chair as Stewart came up from behind him. "Welcome to The Daily Show. Welcome with me, Trevor Noah. I am The Daily Show," Noah said in the brief video clip. Noah's arrival marks another major shift for the comedy cable network: Comedian Larry Wilmore replaced Stephen Colbert earlier this year. Colbert left the network to succeed David Letterman, who just retired from CBS's Late Show, with a celebrity send-off. Shortly after Noah's appointment was announced, he faced criticism for comments he made on Twitter about Jews and women. But the comedian, who joined the show as a contributor in 2014, played down the controversy. "To reduce my views to a handful of jokes that didn't land is not a true reflection of my character, nor my evolution as a comedian," he said on Twitter. – Reuters

Podcast Serial set for two more seasons

Serial junkies, get out your sleuthing kits again. National Public Radio's wildly popular podcast is coming back with two new series. In an email sent to Serial newsletter subscribers on Wednesday, producers said they hope to launch season two this autumn and season three next spring. "We are hard at work reporting not one, but two distinct new stories," they say. Planning for a second season was a slam dunk after a very successful launch in which Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder investigated the true-crime case of Adnan Syed, a young man jailed for life for killing an ex-girlfriend. Syed, who has maintained his innocence in the strangulation of Hae Min Lee in 1999, was granted a request for review by Maryland's Court of Special Appeals after Serial dissected the evidence against him last year. – AP