Howard Stern next Idol judge: Sirus and Fox may have bidding war

The “Shock Jock” of radio Howard Stern is currently in talks with American Idol to replace the one and only Simon Cowell on the next season of the show.

Cowell recently announced announced he will not return to American Idol for its 10th season next year, and will instead bring his British show, X-Factor, to Fox’s fall 2011 schedule. He is producing and intends to star in the new program.

According to an insider at the Post, “producers of the hit Fox show say Stern, America’s highest-paid radio personality, is their top choice to take over from Cowell. It’s one of the few shows that could compete with Stern’s $100 million-a-year Sirius contract, and Idol bosses think he’d be even nastier than Simon … Idol will do what it takes to sign him.”

The American Idol powers that be think Sterm would be meaner than Simon, and would clash with the other judges such as Ellen DeGeneres and ultimately draw a huge audience.

“I was approached by a major TV network to take over a TV show and leave here and do that next year — and I did turn it down … I’m not even sure if I want to be working. I’m waiting to see what happens,” Stern recently said on his show.

Stern has been open about looking at other options when his contract with SiriusXM expires in January, and a second source says: “We believe this is a ploy to make Sirius pay up and keep him on his huge contract. But if Sirius can’t pay him the money he wants, he may negotiate to film ‘Idol’ on the side.”