As Fox begin their hunt for Jennifer Lopez's replacement on American Idol, it looks as though Adam Lambert could well be ahead of the race to fill that empty judge's seat. E! Online report that Fox are keen for Lambert to replace Jennifer Lopez and take the seat on the panel. If Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler both return though, that would make for an all-male panel, which seems like an unlikely decision for Fox to make. Could it be that either Randy or Steven will be waving goodbye to their role on the show?
A source told E! News that Adam Lambert (a former contestant on the show) is the perfect choice for the show. "They have been talking about Adam for over a month. He personifies the show, and will be a popular choice right from the start. He knows what it's like to be on the receiving end of the judges' comments, he has a human touch, and they know they can't go wrong if they bring him on. He would be able to bring a unique perspective to the show. People love him." However, there is also a suggestion that Fox will be trying to persuade Jennifer Lopez to do a u-turn on her decision to leave the show. Producer Nigel Lythgoe confirmed that as yet, no final decisions had been made: "as of this moment in time, we are still in negotiations as we are with everybody. Everything is up in the air."
With rival show X Factor having undergone a personnel shake up (they recently recruited a rather unpredictable Britney Spears to take part in the judging process), American Idol will be keen to show that they can take on Simon Cowell's production in the ratings war. Lambert looks like an obvious choice but they will almost certainly be looking for some female talent to level out the judging panel.