Add Justin Timberlake to the list of potential “American Idol” judges.
Timberlake has joined Elton John on the list of possible replacements for Simon Cowell, according to a report that broke late yesterday in The Hollywood Reporter.
Those two join Chris Isaak and Harry Connick Jr. as rumored replacements for Cowell, who left “Idol” after last season to focus on his new Fox series, “The X Factor,” which premieres in September 2011.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, former “Idol” executive producer Nigel Lythgoe is also close to returning to the “Idol” fold — and could jettison remaining judges Randy Jackson, Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi.
Lythgoe has said he’d be interested in bringing Paula Abdul back to the show, along with Elton John and Usher.
Jackson, who has one year remaining on his deal, is the likeliest to survive a judges’ purge, according to the report.
DeGeneres joined the show last season under a multi-year deal.
Lythgoe left “Idol” two seasons ago to concentrate on his Fox show, “So You Think You Can Dance,” on which he’s a judge as well as an executive producer.
Ratings for “Idol” were down last year, spurring talk that big changes were in the works.