THE race to replace ex-judge Simon Cowell for the next season of American Idol is heating up, and it seems “Wicked Game” singer Chris Isaak is one of the frontrunners.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox is determined to replace know-it-all Simon with someone in the music industry—and that Chris has already met with network execs twice.

The tenth season auditions have already kicked off, with Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi and newest addition Ellen DeGeneres returning to the judging table.

The crooner is just one of many names that have been dropped as a possible replacement for Simon—Chris joins Sean “Diddy” Combs, Quincy Jones, former judge Paula Abdul, Piers Morgan and Donald Trump on the list of potential judges.

The current season is due to premiere in the US and worldwide in January 2011 so we hope they find someone soon!

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