Jessica Simpson is reportedly among those being considered as a judge for American Idol's upcoming tenth season.
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However the singer and reality star is reportedly not being eyed as the replacement for departed judge Simon Cowell.
"She's not his replacement -- they're two entirely different personalities," the insider said.
Instead, Simpson would join American Idol as part of a huge shakeup that could include an entirely new judging panel.
"This is part of a massive overhaul of the show. There may be more judges, more opinions," the insider told Life & Style.
Rumors that American Idol may be replacing its entire judging panel have surged since multiple reports that former American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe -- who left the show in 2008 to focus on So You Think You Can Dance -- is near a deal to return to the show surfaced on Monday.
Earlier this year, Lythgoe repeatedly told reporters he would address Cowell's exit by replacing Idol's entire judging panel if he were still in charge of the show.
"I'd lose the fourth judge, I don't like four judges. I'd keep Ryan Seacrest and probably change the whole panel to go with [Elton John]," Lythgoe told the New York Post in March.
"I would replace the entire judging panel," he elaborated to Zap2it in April. "I don't think it really works replacing one person. They don't have a great deal of chemistry at the moment. Ryan and Simon have fallen out. It's uncomfortable to watch. [Ellen DeGeneres] hasn't worked out as well as we would have hoped."
Reports that American Idol was eyeing John as Cowell's replacement first surfaced in January and have continued to circulate despite an immediate denial from his representative. In May, Access Hollywood reported that John rejected a $33 million offer from the show.
According to recent reports, Idol has also been considering Chris Isaak, Harry Connick Jr. and Justin Timberlake as possible additions.
While VH1's The Price of Beauty is Simpson's most recent reality project, the singer is still arguably best-known for her participation in Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica, which aired on MTV from 2003 to 2005 and chronicled her life with Nick Lachey, who she divorced shortly after the reality show ended.
About The Author: Steven Rogers
