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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?
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Why Yankees' trade for All-Star 3B is disappointing
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Five potential landing spots for Christian Wilkins after stunning Raiders release
The Las Vegas Raiders just stunned the league by releasing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins after only one year with the team. After signing a four-year, $110 million contract, he struggled with injuries in 2024. This was supposed to be a big bounce-back year for Wilkins, but after a dispute between the two sides in regard to how to handle his foot injury, the team decided it was best to part ways. Now, a premier interior disruptor is suddenly available. Assuming his medicals get checked out soon, there should be a lot of interest around the league. Where should he land? Dallas Cowboys Dallas has needed a dominant interior presence for quite some time. Osa Odighizuwa is an awesome threat, but he is only solid against the run. Alongside him, the team will be banking heavily on 2023 first-rounder Mazi Smith, who has been disappointing so far. With Dallas looking to return to the playoffs, adding a stud like Wilkins could give Dallas one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. San Francisco 49ers The 49ers added some young bodies in CJ West and Alfred Collins, yet neither offer a proven, all-around talent like Wilkins could if healthy. The 49ers defensive line was horrid outside of Nick Bosa in 2024, but by adding Wilkins, the team would now have a solid cast of starters with Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, Wilkins and Kevin Givens/Jordan Elliott. Miami Dolphins A return to Miami makes a ton of sense for both sides. The Dolphins know exactly how to use Wilkins, he knows the building and players, and the transition would be very easy. Miami needs help in the interior defensive line; by plugging Wilkins back into his old role, he could offer the quickest path to high-level impact. Detroit Lions With Levi Onwuzurike out with injury and Detroit needing more juice on the defensive line, adding a proven disruptor like Wilkins could make some sense. He could provide more depth while he gets fully healthy, and he can join a legit Super Bowl contender. His energy and mentality could be a good fit for a Dan Campbell-led squad. Jacksonville Jaguars The Jaguars defense is average in the interior, but they have excellent edge-rushers who would benefit greatly from a strong disruptor up the middle. Wilkins could balance the front, help in the run defense and allow more one-on-ones for their premier edge-rushers. For a team that wants to return to the playoffs as soon as possible, adding a veteran like Wilkins could be a worthy bet to make.
Bengals finally reach agreement with first-rounder Shemar Stewart
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Justin Jefferson's hamstring injury can be a blessing in disguise for the Minnesota Vikings during training camp
During Thursday's practice, the Minnesota Vikings ended up pulling wide receiver Justin Jefferson off the field due to tightness in his legs. On Friday afternoon, head coach Kevin O'Connell informed the media that Jefferson has a mild hamstring strain and will miss some practice time. "I wanted to give you guys a little update with Justin [Jefferson] getting a chance to talk to you guys yesterday,: said O'Connell on Friday before practice. "He expressed some discomfort to our staff between the hamstring tightness in his left leg, didn't want to leave anything to chance, so we did have further evaluation done, and he does have a very mild left hamstring strain. We're going to be really cautious with it. It is not the same leg from a couple years ago, I know that question is probably coming. I credit Justin for his ability to recognize how he was feeling, and the fact that we were able to avoid anything major. So, we're going to hold him out here for a bit, and then reevaluate him next week when we come back later on in the week. The best thing is we avoided anything serious. I see no concerns in regards to the opener and have no worry at all that we'll be able to get Justin ready to go for the regular season. As you guys know, throughout camp you'll see time to time that we have some of our players on scheduled maintenance days throughout. I'll try to keep you posted to avoid any confusion as I always try to do. But just wanted you to make you guys available of that. Justin Jefferson's injury provides an unconventional opportunity Not having Jefferson at practice is going to be a frustrating thing for a multitude of reasons. The fans aren't going to be able to see the best player in the National Football League do his thing, which stinks considering the 12 public practices that the Vikings currently have scheduled. The other major downside is that Jefferson won't have the opportunity to continue building chemistry with J.J. McCarthy as he continues to grow into the starting role with the Vikings. Now, they have been throwing at times during the offseason, so it's not like they have been working from scratch. As there is with every injury and instance of a player missing time during training camp, there is a positive coming from it. The absence of Jefferson will allow other players at the position to have a chance to play more snaps, along with snaps on an elevated level than they wouldn't have normally gotten. Jordan Addison is going to get a chance to be the number one wide receiver for the next few practices at minimum, which is great for his development. In turn, Jalen Nailor will get run at WR2, which he will likely be if Addison does end up suspended. Along with that, the depth receivers who are fighting for those last roster spots will have more opportunities to catch passes. Each rep that they get will end up factoring into the decision by the front office on who to keep. Just remember someone like Adam Thielen, who used those reps to become a Pro Bowler. You never want something like this to happen, but the Vikings can take advantage of this circumstance by developing their players across the board.
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