A Fox spokeswoman said the network had no comment on the reports. A spokeswoman for Cowell said the same.

“The whole idea is to get eyeballs in front of the show,” said Brad Adgate, senior vice president at Horizon Media. “When you look at the big name judges, you think of [‘The Voice’ judges] Adam Levine and Christina Aguilera and [‘American Idol’s’] Jennifer Lopez. He’s been searching for a blockbuster name that’s going to draw in viewers, particularly young viewers.”