Tagged: Simon Cowell

Idol rumors

Well folks, the Ellen DeGeneres era on American Idol is, thankfully, over.

The stand-up comic and daytime talk host was out of her area of strength on Idol, and her departure will hopefully mean that Fox will have a judge panel next season who all have music backgrounds. That was the biggest and most legitimate critique of DeGeneres – her lack of a music industry background.

Personally, I’d love to see Ellen join the judges panel of the next season of NBC’s Last Comic Standing; she’d immediately become the top judge and draw of the show, and has way more credibility and humor than any of this season’s judges. The woman knows comedy, not music, and could help make Last Comic Standing a way more legitimate show.

That aside, it’s a relief to have her off Idol, where she was outside her area of expertise.

Now to the rumor mill: word is (and no, I have no security cameras at Fox) that Idol has come to terms already with Jennifer Lopez as Ellen’s replacement. Huge improvement; while J-Lo needs an image boost after being dumped by her record label and her latest movie bombing, she’s an ideal Idol judge due to being a legit pop star – just as Paula Abdul was.

Simon’s replacement is still in the works; I’d love to hear that Apprentice winner Bret Michaels is the choice, although the rumor mill has Steven Tyler as more likely. Personally, I wouldn’t mind if it was Nigel Lythgow himself, who is returning to Idol after a couple seasons as just on So You Think You Can Dance.

The remaining questions are these: will Fox retain Kara DioGuardi as a fourth judge? The word is, she’s already been told she won’t be returning, and her deal was a year-to-year contract.

The bigger question is whether Fox will retain Randy Jackson as a connection to Idol’s past, or if they want to clean house and start fresh. Hard to say.

Personally, I’d love to see Idol free up Randy; that way, when Simon Cowell’s X-Factor debuts in 2011, he could potentially re-team with both Paula and Randy, reuniting the original three-judge panel that worked so well for years on Idol.

Now if only we knew when Ryan Seacrest’s contract was up, and whether he’d consider re-teaming with Cowell on X-Factor, or if CNN is in his future instead.

Cowell may leave Idol

Simon Cowell may leave American Idol after this season; that’s the word from his brother on Twitter. But we suspect Cowell is just using his desire to leave the show as a negotiating position, as he has before when his contract has come up for renewal.

So is Simon going into RV repair? Not on your life; he wants to bring over his latest show, X-Factor, from Great Britain to the US. However, since Fox is the most interested buyer at the moment, don’t be surprised if they link purchase of X-Factor to a condition of Cowell remaining on Idol in some form.

It’s been a bumpy ride for Idol the past few months. First, Paula Abdul’s contract is not renewed; then, Fox chooses the worst possible replacement – a stand-up comic and talk show host with no musical background, Ellen DeGeneres – to take Abdul’s place.

Now no Simon?

The old adage stands true; don’t mess with success! Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Fox is doing…

Who needs Paula?

It’s time to be honest here, and I’m talking colon cleanser-honest: Paula Abdul was definitely the weak link in the American Idol judges panel, and her departure, while a shock to some, was a long time in coming and definitely an improvement. While US audiences seemed to like the soft, non-judgmental approach of Abdul, the truth is her “support everyone” approach weakened the show.

Plus, with some of the celebrity guest judges Fox is lining up, I seriously doubt anyone will still be whining for Paula’s return once the season is underway. Here’s a list of confirmed guest judges so far: Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry, Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, Neal Patrick Harris, Joe Jonas and Kristen Chenowith.

The list is expected to grow from there. The regular judges for the new season of American Idol remain Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and the far-more-honest-and-discerning Kara DioGuardi, who debuted last season.

Reality Ryan entertains Emmy gig

Reality show host Ryan Seacrest will get his shot at hosting the Emmy Awards this year. His gig comes in the wake of Conan O’Brien’s hosting job, which was expected to be brilliant but fizzled miserably.

Known as the master of the timely commercial break, Seacrest emerged into national consciousness when he became the host of American Idol, the Simon Cowell-created music talent competition. Seacrest bloomed in the limelight created by the runaway reality TV hit largely because he was already an experience radio broadcaster familiar with the music business.

It’s impossible to say whether Seacrest can come across as well as Billy Crystal does at the Oscars, but if he does, it could open up yet another broadcasting gig for the effusive workaholic. Look for him in front of the crystal sets and tablecloth sea. He’ll be the one wearing the most genuine smile in the room.