Even though the deal was reportedly near-complete a month ago, Simon Cowell still hasn’t officially signed on for the 2011 and 2012 seasons of American Idol. A sticking point, says The Hollywood Reporter, is his insistence on Fox allowing him to bring a version of The X Factor — his own AI-resembling singing-competition show, a hit in Britain — to the United States. Because such a show would presumably cannibalize Idol’s already flagging ratings (especially if he and Paula Abdul appear as judges, as rumored), Fox doesn’t sound crazy about it (Cowell’s current contract precludes him from doing an American X). But since it could potentially make him an extra $50 million on top of the other $50 million he’s expected to earn a year from Idol, he does seem pretty crazy about it. Two nights per week of Cowell on AI is already more than enough for us, so we would not be disappointed if Fox just gave him $100 million to shut up and stick with one show.
