Fox may want to invest in a quick-triggered bleep button.
Rumors that Howard Stern is considering taking Simon Cowell's soon-to-be-vacant seat on American Idol are true! The shock jock confirmed the buzz yesterday on his Sirius radio show.
"There's not a better job on the planet than judging that facacta karaoke contest," he said. "It might be possible, we'll see. They'd have to pay me a ton of dough because I already make a ton of dough."
Given that Stern's $500 million contract with Sirius is up at the end of the year, the reality show really would have to come up with a ton of dough. Some reports even speculated that Stern was being offered a number that matched his radio gig.
"A $100 million to judge a karaoke contest? Yeah, I would do that show for $100 million," he said, according to The Wrap. "It would be the best thing that happened to me. What a cush job—$100 million for four months! Who wouldn’t take that?”
Not only is the King of All Media confident about his chances at cashing in big time, but he's not too worried about filling Cowell's big, albeit cranky, shoes.
"If I do say so myself, I can't imagine anyone else but me replacing him," Stern said. "I mean, I don't know. How else are they going to make that show work? Who knows how to broadcast and who knows how to be interesting? And who's not afraid to speak their mind?"
Of course, he would have some costars to contend with. Let's not forget who's making her series debut tonight.
Stern said he'd have no problem sitting next to newbie Ellen DeGeneres, but doubts she'd stick around long after he started. Still, he thinks Ryan Seacrest would be the first to depart should his hiring come to fruition.
Then again, all this Idol chatter may just be idle chatter, with Stern posturing for his next round of contract negotiations with Sirius.
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We're not saying anything about Howard, but the guest judges on the show earlier this season sure were pretty!