Shimmering look: Jennifer Lopez wore a sparkling sleeveless dress on Wednesday as she arrived to the American Idol studio in Los Angeles

J-Lo had her brown hair pulled back into a high ponytail and accessorised with golden earrings and a large golden bracelet.

The mother of two completed her look with golden high heels.

Jennifer and fellow judges Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr received a raucous welcome during the show and Harry immediately commented on her dress.

Mermaid dress: Jennifer later on the show agreed that her dress had a mermaid feel

Flattering outfit: J-Lo’s dress hugged her famous curves

Toned legs: Jennifer flashed some of her well toned leg in the dress

Harry joked that the Twitter hashtag Mermaid Princess would start to trend on social media because of her outfit.

‘It is a little mermaid-ish,’ Jennifer replied laughing.

Sure enough the hashtag later trended worldwide on Twitter as one of the most popular references.

Lighting it up: Jennifer sparkled in the sequined dress

Mermaid princess: Harry got the hashtag Mermaid Princess inspired by J-Lo’s dress to trend worldwide on Twitter

Dazzling diva: The pop princess certainly commanded attention with her rather bold choice of look

Golden hour: Jennifer and her dress glowed in the late afternoon sunshine

Ratings have been low for the latest season of American Idol but Jennifer is expected to return next season along with fellow judges Keith and Harry with host Ryan Seacrest also signing up.

However, the show may see a change in format – with a report on E! suggesting it will get ‘trimmed’ to run for just one two hour show a week.

‘I think you’ll see it a two-night format, at least initially during the audition phase,’ said Fox CEO Kevin Reilly. ‘It’s quite likely we’ll end up being a two-hour show on one night for most of its run.’

Mum’s the word: Jennifer was later joined by her adorable twins Max and Emme as they visited the Children’s Hospital in New York

Low-key look: Jennifer was rocking a much more casual ensemble for her day out

Supermodel strut: In spite of her long day, the star teetered on a pair of towering skyscraper heels as she made her way inside the hospital