American Idol: Who should replace J.Lo as a judge?

American Idol is gearing up for its season finale in the US tonight so you'd think the focus would be firmly on finalists Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez - instead, judge Jennifer Lopez has been snatching some of the headlines thanks to rumours suggesting she's ready to leave the show.

But fans shouldn't worry yet - she played down the speculation on Twitter last week, writing: "There is no truth to reports that say I am definitely leaving Idol. All I said was I haven't decided what I'm doing next year #mediaremix. When I know for sure what I'm doing I will let the #LOVE!RS know!"

So, not a firm denial then and we'll have to wait and see what happens, but one thing's for sure - if it's true, Idol producers will have to really pull out all the cards if they want to compete with The X Factor US's shiny new signing, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera over on The Voice US.

The inevitable rumours surrounding a new judge have begun (hello usual suspects Mariah and Katy!) before poor J.Lo's even confirmed her future plans, so we thought we'd throw out our dream picks for who we'd love to see next to Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson if she does wave goodbye:

Adele

If there's any singer in the world entitled to dish out advice to aspiring musicians it has to be Adele. The British singer has been the undisputed queen of the music scene for the past year thanks to her record breaking, award-winning and, dare we say it, slightly-overplayed album, 21. It's sold 9 million copies in the US alone and spent 23 weeks at the top of the chart over there, so she's definitely popular enough to lure in the audience - she even got voted one of the most powerful celebrities in the world by prestigious Forbes magazine this month!

Nabbing such a music megastar who normally shies away from publicity would send a strong signal that Idol's all about the voice and true talent, rather than gimmicks. On a more selfish note, having the star on the panel might discourage some of the hopefuls from performing her tracks during their audition - as much as we love Someone Like You, enough is enough!

Rihanna

It's her BFF Katy Perry that's always linked to these roles but we're Team RiRi all the way! After giving Idol host Ryan Seacrest a run for his money in the multi-tasking department with a ridiculously busy year of jet-setting, touring, recording a new album and making her first movie, we think it would do Rihanna good to stay in one place for a while!

Anyone that follows her on Twitter knows she doesn't hold back about what she thinks (censors, you have been warned!) and she's voiced her support for singing shows in the past, saying they're an important way to discover new talent. She even gave us a peek at her judging credentials during a well-received guest mentor appearance on The X Factor US last season. Plus, love her or loath her, you can't deny she's had a pretty amazing career to date - especially considering she's just 24!

Along with the inevitable glamour (or skimpy outfits) Rihanna would bring to the table, she'd also be able to dole out advice to the young hopefuls on handling fame, seeing as she began her own career as a teenager. And we'd also love her to show fans a softer side than the gyrating minx we normally see on stage - much like the J.Lo did when she joined two seasons ago and won over viewers with her previously unseen maternal warmth and concern.

Carrie Underwood

What better way to show newbie rivals like The Voice and The X Factor that after more than ten years, American Idol is a well-established machine capable of finding true mega-talent than by bringing back one of their biggest success stories as a judge? Our female favourite Kelly Clarkson has already signed on for rival singing show Duets (traitor!), but powerhouse vocalist Carrie Underwood, who won season four, would certainly be an amazing addition!

While we worry that she's maybe just too nice to deliver the sort of blunt critique the audience (and us!) love - her string of Grammys, country music awards and chart topping albums prove she knows what it takes to succeed.

Adam Lambert

Okay, so the judges probably want a nice even balance of guys and gals at the judging table, but we'd also love to see former contestant Adam Lambert dishing out advice. He's undoubtedly one of the show's most popular ex-contestants, so it wouldn't hurt the ratings, and we don't think he'd be afraid to speak his mind when giving that all-important constructive criticism.

Perhaps most importantly, he'd serve as a weekly reminder that even those who don't win can go on to become Grammy-nominated and top the charts (his new album, Trespassing, hit number one in the US this week, conveniently in time for the Idol finale). We could certainly do with a few less overly-dramatic tears on elimination nights, anyway. Kids, winning isn't everything!

Cheryl Cole

Okay, so this is a bit of a wild choice considering she's still virtually unknown in the US, but what better way to get one up on The X Factor US and their glossy new judges than by swooping in and stealing Cheryl Cole? Despite what Simon and co. say, we think American audiences were rather charmed by Cheryl's brief appearance on The X Factor US last year - and we don't buy that they didn't understand her accent!

Of course, it could just be a case of being intrigued by what you don't have, but we think Idol producers wouldn't be disappointed if they gave Cheryl a shot.

After years of sitting next to Simon Cowell, she'd have no problem taking on the somewhat bizarre and colourful musings of Steven Tyler, and we know she's a good judge considering she won The X Factor UK twice - and, if producers want someone to fill J.Lo's glamorous shoes, we know Cheryl won't let them down (horrible orange and purple The X Factor US jumpsuit notwithstanding!) Mostly, we just want Cheryl to crack America with her new album, A Million Lights, and let's face it, having an audience of several million people watching you every week would definitely help!

Selena Gomez

With The X Factor US nabbing former Disney starlet Demi Lovato for their judging panel, Idol might want to think about stealing some of that coveted teen audience themselves. One good option would be Taylor Swift: she's clearly talented and could probably do with taking some time away from recording hit songs to let other artists win at awards shows for a while, but our favourite for the job would be Selena Gomez, aka she of the impossibly glossy hair and Justin Bieber romance.

Yes, at 19 she's young, but the former Disney princess knows about the pressures of the limelight, having begun her career at the tender age of seven, and she already has a loyal fan base thanks to hit comedy series The Wizards of Waverly Place and her three albums (three!) Plus if she's looking to embrace a more mature image, then this could be a great platform - although we doubt we'd ever see her spewing cutting remarks or making hopefuls cry. She's also getting major kudos as an emerging style icon thanks to her chic daywear and sleek red carpet style, plus, best of all, she could convince The Biebs to join her on screen each week! Two judges for the price of one!

Shakira

If Idol producers want to bring some sizzling hot sex appeal to the panel in the wake of a possible J.Lo exit then they couldn't go wrong with Shakira! The Colombian pop star would certainly have male viewers tuning in each week in droves!

She's undoubtedly got the knowledge about what makes a star, having won multiple Grammy Awards and released a string of critically-acclaimed, chart-topping albums, and with more than 50 million fans on Facebook she could definitely spread the word of the show!

Shakira was rumoured as a replacement for Jennifer last season when La Lopez told Radio 1 she wasn't sure if she'd return as a judge (hmm... do we smell a similar situation this time?), but she never commented at the time about whether she'd be interested.

One thing's for sure, though - if her critiques to the contestants each week were as eccentric as some of her song lyrics then we'd be in for a fun show! Plus, every time she came on screen we could shout, "Shakira! Shakira!"