Reports are swirling in from all directions that so-and-so has been fired, someone’s quitting and someone’s been replaced. The Ashley is working hard to know what the hell is really going on over at Idol.

Here’s what we know: obviously, Simon Cowell is not coming back (in case you were living under a rock during the months of January-May and missed all of the constant reminders that last season was Simon’s last.)

It has also been confirmed that Ellen DeGeneres is not coming back. She tweeted that she ‘voted herself off of American Idol’ yesterday…LOL, Ellen. She said she can’t hurt people’s feelings and she’s just not right for the show.

To be honest, I think she’s right. I never understood why she was there in the first place. She doesn’t sing and isn’t in the music industry. She’s a performer, but that doesn’t exactly qualify her to judge singers. I personally think they hired her to bring comic relief to the show, and unfortunately, Ellen just wasn’t that funny.

So that leaves Randy and Kara. Randy can let out a sigh of relief, as it looks like the self-proclaimed Dawg will keep his job. 

Poor Kara doesn’t have the luxury of relaxing. TMZ and other sources are reporting that she has been fired from the show. They are also reporting that she has been replaced by Jennifer Lopez. 

The Ashley thinks this would be a poor move. Kara is an acclaimed song writer who the winning Idol will likely collaborate with once they release an album. (She recently helped write songs for Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson.) Her persona doesn’t overshadow the show and she is not flashy (unlike J-Lo), so she works. Why get rid of her? She’s honest and can offer opinions from a different perspective.

That leaves Simon’s seat open. While rumors have swirled that Simon will be replaced by everyone from Elton John to Chris Isaak, The Ashley believes it is down to two choices: Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler or former ‘Idol’ producer Nigel Lythgoe. I believe both would be great choices. Whoever fills Simon’s seat is going to be the leader of the judge’s table and I think both could do it.

Nigel is clearly the frontrunner, as he’s British (come on, you need at least one non-American judging ‘American Idol’), he knows the show better than anyone and he’s a good judge (he’s currently judging So You Think You Can Dance.)

In fact, Nigel slipped up this week live on TV when he was asked what he thought about a performance on ‘Dance.’ He said, “It was great. We haven’t seen anything like that on American Idol this season.” 

Nothing’s been confirmed, but chances are we will hear the results of the negotiations brawl shortly.