We hear that none other than Madonna's right-hand man Guy Oseary is in the running to fill Cowell's role on the next season of "American Idol."
"Guy has been in the music business since Madonna discovered him when he was 17, and he has a lot of the same experience as Simon," says a Fox insider. The snitch adds that while Jamie Foxx and Tommy Mottola have been mentioned as the snarky Brit's successor, Oseary is in the lead.
"His competition just can't live up to his level of experience," says the source, "and the people behind the show are slowly starting to realize it."
But nothing has been set in stone, and Oseary does still have some hurdles to jump. Explains our source: "Producers are worried that viewers in suburban areas won't know who Guy is. Simon has an incredible following, but the same can't really be said for Guy. He was thrilled to hear that Fox was considering him. He thinks it would be great for his image," says this snitch. "And it's great exposure to boot."

NY Daily News