American Idol 2011

[Perdita]

Madonna's manager Guy Oseary is leading the line to replace Simon Cowell as a judge on next season's American Idol, according to reports.

A host of stars have been rumoured to replace the music mogul following confirmation that he is to step down later this year.

While Cowell focuses on launching a US version of The X Factor in 2011, producer Rodney Jerkins and radio DJ Howard Stern have so far been named as potential successors to the 50-year-old.

However, show insiders have now told the New York Daily News that Madonna's longterm representative Oseary is in talks for the role, alongside Jamie Foxx and Mariah Carey's former husband Tommy Mottola.

A source revealed: "Guy has been in the music business since Madonna discovered him when he was 17, and he has a lot of the same experience as Simon.

"His competition just can't live up to his level of experience and the people behind the show are slowly starting to realise it. He was thrilled to hear Fox is considering him. He thinks it would be great for his image. And it's great exposure to boot."

They added: "People really only know him (Mottola) as Mariah Carey's big bad ex. And producers are worried he'll even be harsher on contestants than Simon was."

[tammyy2j]

After Bret Michael's surprise appearance on American Idol, 68 percent of TVGuide.com voters say the Poison front man should replace Simon Cowell as the new judge of the reality singing competition.

Michaels, who performed a duet with Idol finalist Casey James on Wednesday's finale, three days after winning Celebrity Apprentice, told the crowd at his Biloxi, Miss., show Friday that he was in the running to replace Cowell.

The 47-year-old performer's concert was his first since he suffered a brain hemorrhage and a warning stroke during the past month.

[tammyy2j]

Will singer Chris Isaak become American Idol's newest judge?

With preliminary auditions for American Idol's 10th season well underway, Fox is hustling to find a suitable replacement for Simon Cowell, and Isaak may be one of the top contenders after having met with the network twice, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Isaak, 54, is best known for his 1989 hit song "Wicked Game," but he has also acted in small parts on Eastwick, Cold Case and Smallville, as well as in the films Married to the Mob and Silence of the Lambs. He also starred in The Chris Isaak Show, his semiautobiographical series for Showtime.

Crooner Harry Connick Jr. is also a contender, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

While the network has met with several candidates for the position, Peter Rice, Fox's entertainment chairman, says he expects to have a new judge ready to join the show by early September.

[lizann]

Nigel Lythgoe is nearing a deal to return to American Idol as an executive producer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The So You Think You Can Dance executive producer and judge is being brought back to revamp Idol following Simon Cowell's exit earlier this year. The 61—year-old producer, who helped launch the original Pop Idol in England along with creator Simon Fuller, also worked on American Idol for the first six years.

American Idol also is looking to shake up the judges table. Justin Timberlake and Elton John are currently on the top of Fuller's wish list for new judges, THR reported. Additional names in consideration for the judges table include Harry Connick Jr. and Chris Isaak.

Since leaving Idol two years ago, Lythgoe has been critical of the judges table and told Zap2it in April that if he were in charge, he would replace all the judges.

[Perdita]

Jessica Simpson has become the latest celebrity to be linked to American Idol.

According to Life & Style, the popstar/actress has met with Idol executives several times about landing a spot on the show.

"They like her - she's a good fit - and she likes it. Now it's just a question of how to fit her in," said an insider.

A representative for Simpson is believed to have confirmed the two sides have been in contact to Gossip Cop, however continued to say that there have been no negotiations about the role yet.

Other names who have been linked to the Fox competition include Chris Isaak, Bret Michaels and Harry Connick Jr, who appeared as a guest mentor during season nine.

Fox has yet to comment on the Simpson report.

[tammyy2j]

Jessica Simpson has met with American Idol producers about joining the show’s judging panel, a source close to the show tells EW, confirming a report on TMZ this afternoon. “I’m not sure whether her people approached Idol, or if it was the other way around,” said the source, who added that Simpson is just one of “dozens” of candidates who’ve been considered for an Idol gig when it returns to the air in January 2011.

As was widely reported yesterday, former Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe is all but certain to return to the show for its tenth season, and he went on the record last spring saying he favored an entirely new slate of judges for Fox’s ratings juggernaut. Translation? The network may be looking for more than a replacement for the departing Simon Cowell, who jumped ship at the end of Idol‘s ninth season in order to launch a U.S.-based version of his popular British series The X Factor. Complicating matters could be the fact that current judge Randy Jackson is reportedly signed through next year, and his colleague Ellen DeGeneres has only completed the first year of a multi-year deal.

“The network’s dream scenario would be to make a splashy announcement at TCA on Monday morning,” said the source, referring to Fox’s presentation at the 2010 TCA Press Tour that is scheduled for August 2. “They’d be the talk of TCA, and the message to other networks would essentially be, ‘Follow that!’”

EW has also learned that despite their names surfacing as potential Cowell replacements earlier this week, both Justin Timberlake and Elton John’s meetings with Idol producers took place “a couple months ago.”

[Perdita]

Ellen DeGeneres has decided to leave her post as judge after only one year on American Idol.

The comedian posted the announcement on her website on Thursday, stating that she felt the position wasn't the "right fit".

"A couple months ago, I let Fox and the American Idol producers know that this didn't feel like the right fit for me. I told them I wouldn't leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next," she wrote.

"It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for. I also realised this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings."

DeGeneres added that she will continue to watch the show after her departure.

"I loved the experience working on Idol and I am very grateful for the year I had. I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be."

Idol creator and executive producer Simon Fuller added: "I loved Ellen's passion for the artists and her nurturing skills. She brought honesty and optimism to our judging panel and I will miss her greatly."

The show's executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz said: “We will miss Ellen, she has been the consummate professional throughout her time on the show, and she’ll always be part of the American Idol family.”

Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment at Fox, said: “It was a joy to work with Ellen. She brought an incredible spirit to Idol and was a great new addition to the team.

"While we’re saddened by her decision, we are very appreciative that she gave us ample notice so that we could work through it together.”

Fellow judge Simon Cowell previously announced that he will not be returning to the programme in order to launch a US version of The X Factor in 2011.

[tammyy2j]

Fox announced today that Ellen DeGeneres has decided to step down from her role as a judge on American Idol. DeGeneres joined the panel in its ninth season. The network released this statement today: “A couple months ago, I let Fox and the American Idol producers know that this didn’t feel like the right fit for me,” said DeGeneres. “I told them I wouldn’t leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next. It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for. I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings. I loved the experience working on IDOL and I am very grateful for the year I had. I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be.”

Fox released a statement of its own: “We love Ellen and understand and support her decision to bow out of Idol,” said Peter Rice, Chairman of Entertainment, Fox Networks Group. “We were fortunate to receive the humor, energy and love for talent that she brought to the show.” Added Idol creator Simon Fuller in a statement: “I loved Ellen’s passion for the artists and her nurturing skills. She brought honesty and optimism to our judging panel and I will miss her greatly.”

News of DeGeneres’ departure comes amid reports that former Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe is all but certain to return to the show for its 10th season and that he reportedly favors an entirely new slate of judges for the competition show to make up for the loss of Simon Cowell, who left at the end of Idol’s ninth season to launch a U.S.-based version of his popular British series The X Factor. Complicating matters could be the fact that current judge Randy Jackson is reportedly signed through next year.

[tammyy2j]

Jennifer Lopez has inked a deal to join American Idol‘s judging panel for its upcoming 10th season, according to a Deadline Hollywood report. The news dropped just hours after Ellen DeGeneres confirmed her exit from the show, despite having only served one year of a reported multi-season deal.

Lopez served as an Idol mentor on Latin night during the show’s sixth season, garnering generally positive reviews for her warm, candid style, and her ability to extract a not entirely terrible performance of “Bésame Mucho” from widely maligned contestant Sanjaya Malakar.

A Fox spokesperson declined to comment on the reported deal with Lopez. Calls and emails to Fremantle Media, American Idol spokespersons, and Lopez’s reps were not immediately returned.

[Perdita]

The new American Idol judge will reportedly be announced next week.

The team behind the show have been searching for a new star to join the programme since Simon Cowell announced earlier this year that he has decided to leave.

TV Guide has now claimed that Fox will unveil his replacement at its Television Critics Association presentation on Monday.

Rumours have also suggested that Fox could announce a completely new panel following the departure of Ellen DeGeneres. Recent reports have also suggested that Kara DioGuardi will not be returning.

Nigel Lythgoe, who is expected to rejoin American Idol as an executive producer, has reportedly previously said that he would like to hire a new set of judges.

A source explained: "Nigel wants to make changes."

Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler have all recently been linked to the competition.