American Idol Won't Let This Elton John Thing Go

The once and current American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe has a bee in his bonnet about Elton John becoming the newest judge on Idol and he simply will not take no for an answer. Even though Elton's publicist declared that, "There's more chance of me f*cking you than Elton being on U.S. Idol."

But despite all that, the feather-haired fop is undeterred. Speaking to Deadline at the 8th annual BAFTA/LA Tea Party, Lythgoe squirreled out of confirming that Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez would be the new judges, remarking instead that "I must say, I really do love Elton John. He's a huge favorite of mine," but adding that Elton's busy schedule is "always the problem." Also a problem, presumably, would be Elton's enormous price tag -- he charged Rush Limbaugh a cool million just to croon out a few wedding standards for one afternoon, how much do you this 'ol Reg would charge to be bitchy on a twice-weekly schedule?

Lythgoe also remarked that he thought that Ellen DeGeneres was never given a fair shake by the show and that she, "was constantly apologizing and overwhelmed, I think, by Simon. There was no chemistry between she and the rest of the panel, but to my mind it wasn't her fault. She was misused."

Gotta disagree with you there, Uncle Nigel. Ellen's a big girl and if she had anything to offer beyond a few tortured banana metaphors and a thousand variations on her gummy-mouthed "You're great, I love you," bromides, she would've brought it. Besides, you know better than most that she's a much better dancer than she is a judge.

· 'Idol' Still Trying To Get Elton John As Judge [Deadline]