“Idol” Execs Want To Replace Simon With Howard

“American Idol” producers are determined that the show must go on after Simon Cowell jumps ship, and so they’re on the hunt for someone with a acid tongue to replace him. Their number one pic is apparently Howard Stern, who is known for telling it like it is with the help of expletives and a serious dose of attitude. Howard is also a big “Idol” fan, and he always dissects the show and its contestants on his radio show. Says a source, “It’s one of the few shows that could compete with Stern’s $100 million-a-year Sirius contract, and ‘Idol’ bosses think he’d be even nastier than Simon.”

Howard is staying surprisingly silent on the behind-the-scenes negotiations, saying, “I was approached by a major TV network to take over a TV show and leave here and do that next year — and I did turn it down . . . I’m not even sure if I want to be working. I’m waiting to see what happens.”

Hm…that could mean anything – maybe he was tapped by Barbra Walters to co-host “The View?” [Photo: GettyImages]