Howard Stern has confirmed that he would be interested in replacing departing American Idol judge Simon Cowell.
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"I'm not going to comment about any discussions I might or might not have had. I watch American Idol... People seem to think that if I was on it, because I'm such a foul-mouthed, miserable f--k, that I would get them thrown off the air. I know how to judge."
Stern was acknowledging a Friday New York Post report in which a source claimed that American Idol approached him after hearing his repeated on-air mentions that he is "open to other offers" once his current $500 million Sirius XM Radio deal expires in January 2011.
However a second source told the Post that Stern is believed to just be using American Idol as a negotiation tactic -- a belief that Stern did little to discredit on Monday,
"They'd have to pay me a ton of dough, because I already make a ton of dough," Stern told his listeners, according to MTV News.
"A $100 million to judge a karaoke contest? Yeah, I think I would do that show for $100 million. It would be the best thing that happened to me. What a cush job: $100 million for four months. Who wouldn't take that?"
In addition, Stern reportedly said he read reports that he was suggested as American Idol's new judge by Cowell -- who inked a deal with Fox last month that will have him leaving American Idol after its current season to focus on launching an American edition of his British The X Factor reality competition series for the network in Fall 2011.
"If I do say so myself, I can't imagine anyone else but me replacing [Cowell]," said Stern.
"I mean, how else are they going to make that show work? Who knows how to broadcast and who knows how to be interesting? And who's not afraid to speak their mind?"
Similar to the way it has remained mum about previously suggested Cowell replacements -- such as America's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan, singer Elton John, music producer Tommy Mottola, Madonna business partner Guy Oseary, Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine, and actor/singer Jamie Foxx --the network has had no comment on the Stern report.
"The search has just begun, nor are there any front-runners at this time," a source close to American Idol recently told Entertainment Weekly.
"Nobody's going to be offered a job [as a permanent Idol judge] for a while. We're doing a very thorough search."
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio
