It seems there is already drama stirring up on the set of "American Idol" between Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres. Simon arrived more than 90 minutes late to the first taping of the show, causing Ellen and the other judges to waste their time waiting for the veteran judge.
According to the Sun Times, Ellen was especially irritated due to her very tight schedule. She has already moved had to change her schedule to accommodate “American Idol”, including moving up the taping of her own talk show. With Simon leaving at the end of the season, “Idol” isn’t worried about leaking his bad habits anymore. A source told Pop Eater, "You should expect many more nasty leaks about Simon. The show no longer feels the need to protect him. Simon has been late for years and is baffled that all of a sudden, after he announces he is leaving the show, leaks to the press have started to occur."
Possible replacements for Simon are also beginning to surface. The Sun Times reported that the “Idol” producers want the new judge to have major music industry credibility. Replacements could include Tommy Mottola, Guy Oseary (Madonna’s business partner), and Jimmy Lovine.