'X Factor' Could Grab 'Idol' Emcee Seacrest for a Song ... Or $15 Million

Hey, Simon Cowell! Are you listening? Fox says Ryan Seacrest's costly contract as the popular emcee of "American Idol" is coming to an end and may not be matched again. Could Seacrest replace Steve Jones on "X Factor"?

Seacrest, who has hosted "Idol" since the highly rated musical contest/reality television show first appeared in 2002, now enjoys a three-year contract totaling $45 million. But that rich ride ends this year, and Fox producers appear to be aiming at a less costly deal for Seacrest.

The show's creator, Simon Fuller, is no longer with "Idol," either. Could this spell the end of 37-year-old Georgia native Seacrest's days on the "Idol" stage?

And if Seacrest does choose to fly the "Idol" coop, does the show hold enough audience-grabbing star power with its judging panel of Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler? Perennially, television critics ponder how long "Idol" will last, even as viewers wait to see which contestants will fall away each week.

"X Factor" needs a new host.

Cowell's "X Factor" has apparently booted Steve Jones, the attractive, but awkward, British host of the musical reality series, which debuted on Fox TV in the United States in fall 2011.

Led by Cowell, the show opened with a likable panel of celebrity judges: producer L.A. Reid, pop star Paula Abdul (former of "Idol") and the Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger. Jones' fumbling at the mike, often cutting judges' comments abruptly short to meet camera deadlines, may have been the greatest glitch of the glitzy series.

So the "X Factor" has an open mike, at least for a moment. Could radio and TV host Seacrest follow Cowell and Abdul over from "Idol" to "X Factor"? Would Fox TV foot the bill for the blond-tipped star? Fox airs both programs, so a pricey contract proposal might send the network's honchos howling.

Here's the big question for "Idol" fans. Will Seacrest accept a new deal, if Fox takes a bit bite out of his primo pay? Perhaps neither Fox program will be poised to snatch up the syndicated headliner.

Showbiz rumors hint at possible switches for Seacrest to NBC's "Today Show" or even a reality TV hosting hookup for E! Television's "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," offered by Ryan Seacrest Productions and others.

Of course, Seacrest's sweetie, actress Julianne Hough, has remained mum on the matter.

"Idol" premieres its 11^th season on Fox on January 18, 2011, with Seacrest still at the helm, at least for this session. "X Factor" is due to return in the fall.

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