Posted by Andrew Unterberger on 07/09/2012 at 9:27 AM News

The Popdust Files: adam lambert, american idol, jennifer lopez, rumors

He might not have won his season, but Adam Lambert keeps proving time and time again how he, and not Season Eight winner Kris Allen (or any of the other schlubs to win since, for that matter), is the true Idol immortal. E! News reports that Lambert is now in discussions to graduate to the highest ranks of the Idol family—the judges table, where a shakeup appears imminent with news that Jennifer Lopez will not be returning for the show’s 12th season. A source tells the channel about the talks surrounding Adam’s involvement:

They have been talking about Adam for over a month…He personifies the show, and will be a popular choice right from the start. He knows what it’s like to be on the receiving end of the judges’ comments, he has a human touch, and they know they can’t go wrong if they bring him on. He would be able to bring a unique perspective to the show. People love him.

Yes. We are all about this move. The Idol judges table desperately needs to get younger and more relevant—they certainly can’t go much further in the other direction after the Steven Tyler experiment—and Lambert should instantly be the most engaging and likeable judge of the post-J. Lo era. It’s one of those ideas that makes too much sense to actually happen, so we fully expect this to be the last we hear of it. But hey, if FOX wanted to throw us for a loop, they could, y’know, actually do it.