Nigel Lythgoe may be on the verge of returning to American Idol. According to a person close to the show, the So You Think You Can Dance judge is in talks to come back to the Fox show next season in the producing role he left two years ago. The person said Nigel would return as a member of the Idol executive production team to represent CKx Inc, the holding company of 19 Entertainment, co-producer of American Idol. Fox declined to comment on Nigel's possible return or whether his judging role on So You Think You Can Dance, which airs on Fox, would be affected. Nigel is co-creator and an executive producer of the dance contest. The new season of American Idol will be without Simon Cowell, who left the judging panel to concentrate on the US version of The X Factor. Rolling Stone magazine reports a rumour that Justin Timberlake and Elton John have been targeted as replacements for Cowell.
