ST. LOUIS — The last season of TV’s “American Idol” was, by all accounts, a season of worsts.

Season 12 saw the Fox show’s ratings plummet to all-time lows, on-air tension between new judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj, a winner without much sales appeal and the exit of Randy Jackson.

Enter Harry Connick Jr.

The crooner joins the judging table for season 13. He’ll sit next to returning judges Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban.

Looking at last season makes one wonder what Connick was thinking in joining the show.

“I always liked ‘Idol.’ I’ve been a fan since the first year,” says Connick. “I got to know the people there, and I understand the show. They called and asked if I wanted to be a judge. Some things had to be worked out, but they worked out great and I’m having a great time.

“The only hesitation was that I had other things going on, and it was a matter of could I do it. But any chance I get to be around music or creative people, things that are stimulating, are things that I like to do and ‘Idol’ is all of those things,” he says.