Simon Cowell may have found the perfect candidate to step in as his newest X Factor judge: Ms. Janet Jackson herself! According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jackson is in preliminary negotiations to join Fox’s reality singing competition and fill one of the judges' seats previously occupied by Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, before last month's purge.
However, Michael Jackson's little sister isn't admitting to anything just yet. The singer dodged the question during an interview with TV host Anderson Cooper on Thursday. At first, she denied it entirely: "Oh my God. No, I'm not a judge on The X Factor." She then elaborated: “You’re not currently a judge on The X Factor," adding coyly, “No, I am not. But that’s all I really think I should say.” Her last statement seems like a tentative confirmation.
Jackson would be great on the judging panel. The contestants would kill to work with the member of music royalty. She could up the ante on contestants' song choices and choreography. Plus, if the series delivered a look at her home as part of "Judges' Homes" week, ratings could skyrocket.
But there's still another empty chair. Originally,
THR reported that Cowell was hoping to snag
Whitney Houston as a judge, prior to her untimely death. But now, it's reported that
Pink and
Katy Perry are high on Cowell's list. He recently told
Extra, “I worked with Katy once. I think she would be fun because she is hard — in a good way — and she’s feisty. She would be great.”
Who would you like to see as an
X Factor judge?
Click on the picture above for more photos of Janet Jackson.