'American Idol' negotiations: Justin Timberlake, Elton John may join, Nigel Lythgoe could return

07/26/2010 by Corinne Heller

Justin Timberlake and Elton John are reportedly in talks to possibly replace Simon Cowell as the fourth judge on American Idol.

FOX is also said to be nearing a deal to bring back executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, in a move that could spell trouble for the remaining three judges, The Hollywood Reporter said on Monday. FOX and production company 19 Entertainment have not commented on the report.

Lythgoe, who had left American Idol two years ago and who currently produces and judges FOX's dance contest show So You Think You Can Dance, had told the website Zap2it he would replace the entire judging panel, which currently consists of Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi and Ellen Degeneres.

"They don't have a great deal of chemistry at the moment. Ryan [Seacrest] and Simon have fallen out. It's uncomfortable to watch. Ellen hasn't worked out as well as we would have hoped," Lythgoe was quoted to have said, adding that his ideal judges panel would consist of Elton John, Usher and Paula Abdul, who left the show in 2009.

Meanwhile, auditions for American Idol's tenth season are underway. They began on July 17 in Nashville, Tennessee and took place in New Orleans on Monday. The minimum age eligibility of contestants has been lowered from 16 to 15, while the maximum age stands at 28.

The last venue to audition for the show is in San Francisco on August 19 and the series is set to air in January.

Chris Isaak, singer of the 1989 ballad "Wicked Game", was also reported to have been in talks to replace Cowell as the fourth judge of American Idol, while rocker Bret Michaels is no longer in the running. Harry Connick Jr has also reportedly been considered for the job.

Cowell has said he began to become bored with American Idol about two years ago and is set to launch in the fall of 2011 a new show, X Factor - the U.S. version of a talent competition series he judged and developed in the United Kingdom.

The ratings for the American Idol finale in May were the lowest recorded among its season ending episodes. General ratings for American Idol have more than tripled since the series debuted in 2002 but have declined slowly during the past few years. Peak ratings were recorded in about 2006, or the fifth season.