Mark Davis/Getty Images; E! EntertainmentDon't expect American Idol to announce new judges anytime soon.
So says producer Nigel Lythgoe.
Lythgoe told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show this morning that the "spotlight of the press" is not "helping negotiations with anybody so now we've got our work cut out for us."
"I'm sure nobody's name will be mentioned at this time while we're getting it together," he said.
Jennifer Lopez, 42, and Steven Tyler, 64, announced last week that they would not be returning for a third time. Sources confirmed to E! News this morning that the future of Randy Jackson, 56, is still up in the air.
Some of the possibilities for judges that have been tossed around in the last week include Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Adam Lambert, Fergie, will.i.am, Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj.
"[T]here are so many names coming at me at the moment," said Lythgoe, 63, who also has announced his plans for season 12. "I joke about it and say, 'Oh, I'm looking for the Three Stooges or Jerry Lewis.' But at the end of the day, I think what we've seriously got to talk about is just using people for a year…If we do want these big stars, and we do, you cannot take them away from what they do. That's depriving the public of a star for a start and stopping them from earning a lot of money."
Lythgoe said he's "really upset" by Lopez and Tyler's decisions to leave, but he understands.
"They've got much bigger careers than just sitting judging Idol," he said. "They're both very talented people and you have to respect their decision to carry on and do what they were doing before Idol. It breaks my heart, because I love them both dearly."
Meanwhile, Lopez told Good Morning America today that Tyler's exit helped her finally decide to leave. "We had a little bit of magic," she said. "I don't know, with him gone, it might be a different formula."
J.Lo even suggested some music superstars to replace them. "I think like Bono or Bon Jovi or Mick Jagger," she said. "You know me, I think big."