It’s been almost 15 years since Simon Cowell left American Idol, and the show’s producers are said to be yearning to find a new ‘bad guy’ to take his place on the judging panel.
According to The U.S. Sun, Idol executives are searching for a new judge who can harshly criticise auditionees like Cowell once did. Cowell, who served as a judge on the reality competition show alongside Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson from 2002 to 2010, was known for his blunt and sometimes cruel feedback.
After Cowell left the show to focus on America’s Got Talent and Britain’s Got Talent, Idol tried out various judges, including Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick Jr. However, none of those combinations truly clicked, and the show was put on hiatus in 2016.
Idol returned on March 11, 2018, when a revival of the series began airing on ABC. The new version of the show featured a judging panel consisting of Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie, who remained a strong trio until May 2024, when Perry left after seven seasons. Former Idol winner Carrie Underwood replaced Perry for the 23rd season.
Disney/Eric McCandlessBRYAN
While Idol now focuses more on lifting people up and sharing emotional backstories, an insider reportedly told The U.S. Sun that producers “are struggling to find their next Simon. They know finding the perfect mixture of harsh critique and humorous entertainment, which Simon embodies.”
“They think it would bring back the spark the show needs to boost ratings and get a fresh facelift,” the insider continued, noting, “The problem is, no big star in the current day would agree to it. No one wants to be the bad guy. No one wants to get canceled or offend people.”
The source added, “Plus, insulting people’s dreams just doesn’t hit the same as it did in the aughts, so a high-profile star isn’t going to sign up to be that person. They’re just not.”
If the show is looking for a new judge, it begs the question, who are they looking to replace? Speculation would immediately point to Bryan, especially with Underwood now on the panel, meaning there are two country music-focused judges.
Bryan previously revealed he is on a year-to-year contract, telling Taste of Country last year, “I mean, every year we re-kinda negotiate how we do Idol, and it’s a year commitment. It’s not like I have a five-year contract or anything. So when we start getting into the later stages of Idol, we’ll start deciding whether we come back or not, and that’s how we have done it for seven years.”
However, if the show is looking to skew younger, the producers could replace Richie, who turns 76 on June 20.
Who would you choose as the next Simon Cowell? Should Idol shake up its judging panel? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
American Idol, Season 23, Sundays and Mondays, 8/7c, ABC
