Madonna top choice for American Idol judge

London (ANI): Madonna could be the next in line as one of the judges on American Idol. Now that Simon Cowell is planning to bid farewell to the show after 9 years, Idol boss Simon Fuller is keen to fill the X-factor chief"s shoes – and he wants a big name.

The Queen of Pop tops Fuller"s wish list to take the music mogul"s place on the judging panel. "Simon is going to leave a gaping hole. Not only is he an expert, he's also a big star in the States. Everyone agrees Madge would be great and they want her as a full-time judge. But if that fails they'd at least like her as a mentor," The Sun quoted a source as saying.

Fuller is facing another challenge – the show"s ratings have taken a nosedive and filming for the next series has been pushed back to September as bosses search for a new judge. Cowell, on the other hand, is nostalgic as he is quitting after judging the show for 9 long years. But he feels his replacement needs to be someone who "actually knows what they're talking about".