Mariah Carey to feature in upcoming season of Empire

Mariah Carey is expanding her acting resume after signing on to appear in an upcoming episode of Empire.

The diva will portray Kitty, "a mega-superstar", who collaborates with Jussie Smollett's character Jamal Lyon on a new song recorded for the show.

The episode, which will air on 5 October (16), has been a long time coming - her Precious director Lee Daniels told fans at Mariah's Hollywood Walk of Fame star unveiling last year (15) that the singer would feature in his hit drama.

Carey's Empire role won't be her only TV appearance this autumn - she will also launch her new docu-series, Mariah's World.

The series will take fans behind the scenes of her ongoing tour as she plans her wedding to Australian businessman James Packer.

The Fantasy singer recently visited the Television Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills to talk about the forthcoming E! project, while sipping champagne.

Carey insisted Mariah's World is not a reality show, stating, "I don't consider it reality… I haven't been on tour in Europe in about 10 years. So I thought, let's just show the behind the scenes, what it really takes to do a tour… and mainly, watch how the music evolves, watch the process, and watch how the different personalities clash. I don't even watch reality - I don't even know what reality is, literally."

She is working with producers to ensure the eight-part series is as authentic as possible, revealing she is using discretion to decide whether or not her fiance, ex-husband Nick Cannon and their twins Moroccan and Monrioe will appear.

"I think we're still drawing lines," she explained. "I think in the beginning I was withholding the amount of access because I'm never sure who to trust. I just didn't know how things were going to be perceived... We're still in the process of filming and getting more real moments. But my goal is to make this a lasting piece of work for my fans."

The show will premiere on America's E! network on 4 December (16).

Meanwhile, Empire returns to U.S. TV on 21 September (16). Season three guests also include Taye Diggs, rapper French Montana, and rapper/producer Bryan 'Birdman' Williams.