American idol

AMERICAN IDOL

American Idol (American Idol: The Search for a Superstar in season 1) is an American singing competition airing on FOX. It debuted on June 11, 2002, and has since become one of the most popular shows on American television. Part of the Idol franchise, it is a spinoff from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive Simon Fuller and first aired in 2001 in the United Kingdom.

Auditions for the next season of “American Idol” began this week in New Orleans as the short list of possible judges to fill Simon Cowell’s empty seat kept growing. The latest name being considered: Jessica Simpson.

“Jessica has been approached about ‘American Idol’ but nothing has been confirmed yet on either end,” a source close to Simpson told TODAYshow.com.

If Simpson does get the “Idol” green light, don’t expect her to be the permanent replacement for Cowell. “She’s not his replacement — they’re two entirely different personalities,” according to a source who’s quoted in the new issue of Life & Style magazine. “This is part of a massive overhaul of the show. There may be more judges, more opinions.”