American Idol's Mess: Ellen and Kara Out, J.Lo In!

Jennifer Lopez is reportedly
joining American Idol this winter

After a terrible ratings season and Simon Cowell officially gone from American Idol, the show's producers have been scrambling to retool the show and save it from its inevitable cancellation.

The first step, completely shake up the judging panel.

Yesterday, Ellen Degeneres shockingly announced that she was leaving the show after one season. She claimed that she never really felt comfortable on the show and that she made the decision months ago, only announcing it once the producers found a suitable replacement.

But Ellen isn't the only one on her way out.

While it should have happened last year, singer-songwriter Kara DioGuardi has been reportedly fired from the show as well, hours after Ellen's announcement. TMZ reportedly wants to go back to a three-person panel, after facing criticism for the change back in season 8.

So, with the two ladies gone, who will be on the panel?

Well, Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Jennifer Lopez has joined the show. She served as a mentor for season six's Latin Night (a.k.a., the night Sanjaya sang "Besame Mucho"). The news has yet to be confirmed by FOX, but rumors also suggest that the panel will be announced on Monday.

Another name floating around alongside Lopez's is Aerosmith's frontman Steven Tyler. There is no information about Randy Jackson's status on the show.

I'm sorry, but I still belong to the school of thought that this show should have been cancelled the minute Simon quit. Ratings are down, contestant sales and chart positions have been dropping, and frankly, the show is a joke now. Instead of ending it with dignity (and on top), it is clear the network is going to let this dying horse continue to ride until it's flat out dead.

Oh well, time for X Factor!