Mariah Carey to appear in Empire

Mariah Carey is to guest star in the upcoming season of ‘Empire’.

The 46-year-old singer has long been rumoured to be making a cameo appearance in the musical drama series – which was created by her friend Lee Daniels – and it has now been confirmed she will feature in an episode which will air on FOX on October 5.

According to a press release, Mariah will play Kitty, "a mega-superstar who comes to Empire to collaborate with Jamal Lyon (Jussie Smollett) on an explosive new song. When the duet encounters obstacles, Kitty help Jamal dig deep to overcome personal difficulties and reach a musical breakthrough."

Jussie, 33, previously spoke of his friendship with Mariah, admitting he thinks she’s a "diva", but also a "regular, chill girl".

He said: "She’s just the best. She says ‘darling’ a lot. But I say ‘darling’ too as a joke, so it works perfectly. This friendship works very well.

"She’s a good human being and a really sweet lady … don’t get me wrong, she’s a diva. I said, ‘Do you own flats?’ She’s like ‘Darling, no.’ OK. That’s why she has dope calf muscles. [She has] the greatness of a diva, but [is also] the regular, chill girl that you just want to chill with."

Joining Mariah and the regular cast members on ‘Empire’ series three will be guests Taye Diggs, Sierra McClain, French Montana and Birdman.

Creator Lee – who previously worked with the ‘Fantasy’ singer on on ‘Precious’ in 2009 and ‘Tennessee’ in 2008 – teased the possibility of his friend appearing on the show a year ago.

He said: "Watch her on ‘Empire’, you guys. She’s coming on ‘Empire’."

And showrunner Ilene Chaiken described the idea of Mariah being on the show as an "exciting proposition".

Asked about Mariah’s rumoured cameo, Ilene said: "Just that it’s a really exciting proposition.

"It’s not determined yet [who she will play]. There’s a chance Mariah will play herself."