The scramble for the American Idol judges' panel is unraveling.

With Ellen DeGeneres leaving the show after only one season, reports now suggest that singer and actress Jennifer Lopez will be taking her place.

Deadline Hollywood has an insider account of events leading to DeGeneres' departure: she approached Idol producers with her plans to quit two months ago, but the bosses were hesitant to let her go then because "it would be bad for [the] franchise." With Simon Cowell leaving at the end of the last season, they decided they needed time to find potential replacements.

The website added that Idol producers were holding serious negotiations with Jessica Simpson to replace DeGeneres, but Lopez -- whose career flourished in the early 2000s but saw a drop in recent years -- closed a deal early this week, paving the way for today's announcement of DeGeneres' departure.

Lopez was rumored to join Idol as early as last year, when she was pegged as a replacement for Paula Abdul -- the slot which DeGeneres later nabbed. However, she is no stranger to the show, having acted as guest mentor during Latin week in season 6.

Access Hollywood is also reporting that Aerosmith vocalist Steven Tyler has met with Idol bosses several times, and Gossip Cop has gone as far as saying that Tyler has been offered a slot, along with Lopez.

If you ask me, I'm not really excited about these developments. I'm not saying that Lopez or Tyler don't have what it takes, but getting current celebrities on Idol will make the show more about them than the talent -- that happened when DeGeneres joined early this year.

With an announcement on Idol's new judging panel reportedly coming in as early as Monday -- remember, there have been rumors of an overhaul as early as season 9, with an online survey asking fans for suggestions, plus recent reports that Nigel Lythgoe will return as the show's executive producer -- expect things to really, really unravel.



(Image courtesy of WENN/Andreas Otero)