Everyone else probably saw this coming, but the bosses at Fox’s American Idol. Apparently Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey viscously verbally sparred at a North Carolina stop in the show’s taping.

The two divas apparently never got along since they were paired with show’s veteran judge Randy Jackson and country star Keith Urban.

It was in fact Jackson, sources said, tried to quell the   escalating quarrel telling both ladies to ‘calm down’. Tmz has obtained blurry video of a part of the incident – in it Minaj can be heard loudly admonishing Mariah.

During the tet a tet, Minaj loudly complains of ongoing taunts and teases from Mariah. And Carey who’s got a reputation of being difficult was slamming back at Minaj.

Of course this all may a ploy to get more viewers to a show that’s seeing drop in ratings, albeit not enough to knock it from top slots.