Who Should Replace Jennifer Lopez on American Idol?

A former AI fan favorite weighs in on news that J.Lo is leaving the judges' table

With Jennifer Lopez likely to be leaving American Idol, the replacement game has begun.

Season ten fan favorite Pia Toscano thinks there's only one superstar who could fill J.Lo's place at the judges' table...

"Mariah Carey," Toscano, 23, told us last night at the 19th annual Race To Erase MS  gala benefiting the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis in L.A. "We need a big voice out there. She's amazing."

Not that Toscano is happy to see Lopez go.

"I think she adds a lot to the show," she said. "She gave me a lot of tips that I'm taking with me through my whole career. She's an incredible person to have judging because she's been doing this her whole life."

We couldn't agree more. As we exclusively reported, Lopez has decided she will not be returning for a third season in order to concentrate on her film and music careers and raising her twins.

Toscano, who the judges compared to Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and Ms. Carey, was one of the biggest upsets Idol has ever experienced. While most everyone thought she was going to go all the way, she only placed ninth when she was booted off.

Lopez talked to Toscano on stage after the elimination.

"I told her to stay pure in her heart, to have faith and to know that if this wasn't the path for her that there was something bigger for her," Lopez told Ryan Seacrest the following morning on his KIIS-FM radio show. "And I believe that."

Lopez's expertise isn't the only thing Toscano will miss. "It makes me sad to see her go because I love seeing her in her dresses," she said. "She looks fierce. She looks amazing every week. I really hope that she stays. She adds a lot to the show."