Simon Cowell stripped down the cast of The X Factor this week, sending judges Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul packing along with host Steve Jones. Speculation on replacements for the trio began immediately with Mariah Carey rumored to be a front runner for the judges panel, but now insiders say Beyonce is Cowell’s first choice. The media mogul is said to have offered Beyonce $500 million for a 5 year contract.
"He wants a big-name female star on the panel. Mariah [Carey] is good, but she's not that hot today. He wants Beyoncé because that would immediately give him the bounce needed to beat 'American Idol,'" an insider told MediaTakeOut.com.
Cowell has not commented. He and LA Reid are the only original cast members set to appear on season 2.
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