Jessica Simpson
Photo: Ray Tamarra/ Getty Images

With Ellen DeGeneres no longer on "American Idol" and the fate of Kara DioGuardi still up in the air, at this point no one knows what the show's judges' table will look like next season. And one gossip blogger thinks the show needs to scuttle confusion quickly.

"So, the question is not who's gonna replace Simon Cowell, the question now is who's gonna replace Ellen DeGeneres?" Perez Hilton said to MTV News. "'American idol' [is] in quite a predicament."

Rumors have been swirling that Jennifer Lopez might join the judges' table for the show's 10th season, but Perez is making the case for another candidate.

"At least Jessica Simpson could have been insightful and funny," he explained. "I love J.Lo, but she's a diva. There's nothing warm about her, where I think Jessica could bring warmth and insight and humor."

So, why Simpson? "She's still been very visible and Jennifer has tried to be visible but she's kind of been away for a while," he argued. "[Simpson] has been around for a long time and has that experience, plus America loves to watch her on television. Does America love watching Jennifer Lopez on TV? I don't know. I don't think so."

Or course, if Idol judges came calling to Perez himself, he wouldn't turn down the gig. "Obviously I think I'd be great in that role," he said. "Plus, if they hire Jessica Simpson too, there'd definitely be lots of fireworks between us! She'd be my Paula!"

Would you prefer J.Lo or J-Simp behind the "Idol" judges' table? Tell us in the comments!

• Jessica Simpson
• Jennifer Lopez

Jessica Simpson
Photo: Ray Tamarra/ Getty Images

Today's "American Idol" rumor about the potential replacement for Simon Cowell has reality TV veteran and pop singer Jessica Simpson possibly stepping in to replace the cantankerous British judge who split after season nine.

According to Entertainment Weekly, an unnamed source close to the "Newlyweds" star said Simpson has had several meetings with "Idol" brass about possibly joining the show for the upcoming tenth season, which kicks off in January 2011. A representative for Simpson told MTV News she had no comment on the report.

"I'm not sure whether her people approached 'Idol,' or if it was the other way around," according to the source, who noted that the "Dukes of Hazzard" star is just one of "dozens" of candidates who have reportedly been considered for the gig. Simpson joins a list that does not, however, include Elton John or Justin Timberlake, who were rumored to be in contention for the slot before their reps denied that either would be considering the spot on America's #1 show. Meetings between "Idol" producers and John and Timberlake reportedly took place several months ago and were non-starters.

The spate of rumors comes on the heels of reports that former "Idol" producer Nigel Lythgoe is expected to return to the show for the upcoming season and that the "So You Think You Can Dance" judge/producer might be considering major changes to the remaining judging panel to give the show a boost. An "Idol" spokesperson has offered no comments on the Lythgoe, Timberlake and John rumors and could not be reached for reaction to the Simpson news at press time. Fox had no comment on the Simpson rumors, either.

The show's producers have not announced when they would reveal the name of Cowell's replacement, but the unnamed source told EW that "Idol" network Fox's "dream scenario" would be to make a big announcement at its event at the 2010 Television Critics Association Press Tour on Monday (August 2). Among the other names reportedly in contention for the gig are singers Chris Isaak and Harry Connick Jr.

Do you think Jessica Simpson would make a good "Idol" judge? Leave your comments below.

• Who Should Replace Simon Cowell On 'American Idol'?

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Jessican Simpson on the May 2010 cover of <i>Marie Claire</i>
Photo: <i>Marie Claire</i>

Last week, the May issue of Marie Claire hit newsstands, proclaiming that cover girl Jessica Simpson was wearing no makeup and the photo hadn't been retouched. It certainly stood out against the hundreds of other magazine covers and glamour shots that the singer has posed for over the span of her career. But while she was hoping the photo it would empower women to embrace their natural beauty, it had some people wondering if she was really telling the truth.

"I absolutely was not wearing makeup," she asserted to MTV News Monday night on the red carpet for Good Housekeeping's 125th anniversary celebration. "If you look at the cover, you can tell my nose has been broken a couple times. It's a little [off]."

She said all you need to do to verify her words is compare that shot to ones of her on airbrushed on magazine covers. "If you look at a retouched cover of me, and if you look at the Marie Claire cover, you can see that there's a big difference," the "Price of Beauty" star said. "And I really wanted to show women that I'm just a normal person. [Normally] when I take the pictures, I don't know what the magazine's going to do with it after that. I don't know what the photographer's gonna do with it after that. It was important for me to make sure that they did not retouch and I was not wearing makeup."

What do you think of Jessica Simpson's barefaced magazine cover? Tell us in the comments!

• The Evolution Of: Jessica Simpson
• Jessica Simpson, Hilary Duff, More Celebrate Good Housekeeping's 125th Anniversary

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Jessica Simpson
Photo: MTV News

Jessica Simpson has a new song and a new TV show, but she doesn't have any plans to get back in the studio anytime soon. In fact, she's hoping that "The Price of Beauty" will get picked up for a second season, and she says that whatever she does next is bound to surprise her fans and critics.

"Right now, I'm promoting this [show], and hopefully we'll be doing a season two and hopefully just travel more," she told MTV News, teasing a few other projects she's working on. "I'm putting my hands in different things, trying to executive-produce some show ideas. I think people will be very shocked to see what might happen in my life next."

While she didn't elaborate on what her next big move might be, she did say she has no plans to get too wacky and join her friend Billy Corgan in the Smashing Pumpkins. "You gotta be a little bit more wild and crazy," she laughed. "I mean, I have some crazy moments in my life or things about me, but I don't know that I can stand onstage and represent Billy the way he is. He does that fine on his own."

Working with Corgan has taught her a lot, though. "To be able to sit with Billy [is a learning experience], and I always feel comfortable with him, 'cause he is a close friend of mine," she said. "And I know he had my best interest at heart, and it was great to be able to collaborate with him and to have him there in the studio."

What do you think Jessica has planned next? What should she do? Tell us in the comments!

• MTV News Extended Play: Jessica Simpson

• The Evolution Of: Jessica Simpson

• Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson
Photo: MTV News

Jessica Simpson recently worked with Billy Corgan on her new song "Who We Are" — so is there any chance that Simpson could become a member of Corgan's band the Smashing Pumpkins in the future?

"I don't know that I would be a good addition to the Smashing Pumpkins," she joked. "You gotta be a little bit more wild and crazy."

She admitted that perhaps her image isn't a right fit for Corgan and his group. "I mean, I have some crazy moments in my life or things about me, but I don't know that I can stand onstage and represent Billy the way he is," she added. "He does that fine on his own."

Despite their differences, Simpson regards Corgan as a "dear friend" and shared that he was a great help to her when she recorded her latest track. "I asked him to help out with arranging the song," she explained. "And he had some ideas to change it up a bit musically and some really cool arrangements and some great guitar things."

Simpson said that working with Corgan really taught her a lot. "To be able to sit with Billy [is a learning experience], and I always feel comfortable with him 'cause he is a close friend of mine," she said. "And I know he had my best interest at heart and it was great to be able to collaborate with him and to have him there in the studio."

• MTV News Extended Play: Jessica Simpson

• Jessica Simpson
• The Smashing Pumpkins

Jessica Simpson
Photo: MTV News

Jessica Simpson worked with a seemingly unlikely collaborator on her new track "Who We Are," the theme to her new docu-series, "The Price of Beauty": Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan.

"Billy is a dear friend of mine and I asked him to help out with arranging the song," she told MTV News. "And he had some ideas to change it up a bit musically and some really cool arrangements and some great guitar things."

Simpson explained that working with Corgan, who came to the singer's defense after John Mayer made explicit comments about her in a recent Playboy interview, really taught her a lot. "To be able to sit with Billy [is a learning experience], and I always feel comfortable with him 'cause he is a close friend of mine," she said. "And I know he had my best interest at heart and it was great to be able to collaborate with him and to have him there in the studio."

The song embraces the show's theme about loving the person you are. "I ended up writing the song with some friends and it was about all these places that I'd gone to and the experience that I had," she said. "It's about the beauty of who we are and embracing that and knowing that we are all authentic — that every single person is different," she added. "But they all have something different about themselves that they need to discover."

• MTV News Extended Play: Jessica Simpson

• The Evolution Of: Jessica Simpson

• Jessica Simpson
• Billy Corgan
• The Smashing Pumpkins

Jessica Simpson
Photo: MTV News

Not only is Jessica Simpson returning to the world of reality TV for her new docu-series, "The Price of Beauty," but she's also giving fans some new music, thanks to the show's theme song, "Who We Are." Simpson worked with Billy Corgan, Evan Bogart, Shari Short and Kerry Brown on the track and said it really embraces the show's theme about loving the person you are.

"I ended up writing the song with some friends and it was about all these places that I'd gone to and the experience that I had," she told MTV News about the track written specifically for the show. The tune reflects what she learned as she traveled the globe and observed that different cultures find different things beautiful. "It's about the beauty of who we are and embracing that and knowing that we are all authentic — that every single person is different," she added. "But they all have something different about themselves that they need to discover."

In the song, Simpson seems to answer critics with lines like "We're beautiful/ Our flaws and all/ They're beautiful to me/ It's who we are, who we are/ It's who we're meant to be."

Filming the show also gave Simpson the power to silence her critics and the voices in her head. "I view the world very differently," she said. "Everything's not as big of a deal as people make it out to be, and that's a really great place to be in. I know there's nothing that anybody can say about me that will take me to a very low place, because I am stronger."

• MTV News Extended Play: Jessica Simpson

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• Jessica Simpson
• Billy Corgan

Jessica Simpson
Photo: MTV News

Morocco was just one of the stops on Jessica Simpson's world tour for her new VH1 show, "The Price of Beauty," on which she examines just what makes women beautiful. Although she traveled all over the world to places as distant from her native Texas as Uganda, Morocco was one of her favorite destinations. There, she says, she found the secret to beauty: meditation.

"I loved Morocco. I had a blast in Morocco," she explained to MTV News. "And these women were so beautiful to me. They basically just spoke to you through their eyes. And the culture, it was breathtaking [with] all the colors."

"It was very spiritual. All the prayers that they say ... they really just know themselves," she continued. "And I think that's important for a woman. I think that we all need to spend alone, quiet time in meditation and in those spiritual moments. You can discover so much about yourself."

She may have found some sense of peace in Morocco, but Simpson explained that through her travels, she also had to confront her fears, something she says has given her the ability to face anything. "I view the world very differently," she said. "Everything's not as big of a deal as people make it out to be, and that's a really great place to be in. I know there's nothing that anybody can say about me that will take me to a very low place, because I am stronger."

• MTV News Extended Play: Jessica Simpson

• The Evolution Of: Jessica Simpson

• Jessica Simpson

Photo: MTV News

• Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson
Photo: WireImage

She's been criticized by people for her appearance. She's had John Mayer talk about her private life to Playboy magazine. And while these things might have gotten under Jessica Simpson's skin in the past, the singer, who premiered her new VH1 docu-series "The Price of Beauty" on Monday night, said these days, she's up for any challenge.

"I definitely faced a lot of fears in every country that we went to, but that's what it was about," she told MTV News. "It was about going out there and seeing how far I can push myself and seeing what I can discover. Like, 'Who am I?' "

She added that given her new, fresh perspective on things, she doesn't care what anyone has to say these days. "I view the world very differently," she said. "Everything's not as big of a deal as people make it out to be, and that's a really great place to be in. I know there's nothing that anybody can say about me that will take me to a very low place, because I am stronger."

It was her experiences traveling all over the globe that gave Simpson strength. "The extremes [people] go to to feel beautiful, I think our society puts way, way too much pressure on a woman to feel beautiful," she said. "But the extremes that we saw in all these different countries were amazing. It was, like, outrageous.

"We went to Uganda. We were in fattening huts [where] the fatter you are, the more beautiful you are in this certain village we were in," she continued. "And so the men want their women to look like cows, because the cows are their prize possession. So the bride-to-be has to gain 90 pounds before she gets married. It does push its limits to what's healthy, what's not healthy. I've done all kinds of stuff on this trip."

Did you watch Jessica's new show? What do you think about the lengths people will go to for beauty? Weigh in below!

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