You want to know who’s going to replace Simon Cowell on the next season of American Idol? Well get in line and don’t hold your breath, at least not until the end of the current season.

Sources say the show’s producers have no intention of naming Cowell’s replacement until after the May 26th finale episode, so as not to detract the spotlight from the final four contestants.

Cowell announced earlier this year he would leaving Idol to produce and judge an American version of the British reality series, The X-Factor, which is slated for a Fall 2011 release from the FOX network.

Personally, I’m having a hard time even imagining American Idol without Simon Cowell there to share his brutal honesty and expertise.

While many people find his edgy brand of criticism to be cruel and untoward, it is also one of the reasons people tune in on a regular basis.

Sure, I like watching talented singers compete for the title, but I also respect Cowell a great deal. Not many people are comfortable speaking their mind in a world so bent on political correctness and being polite, it’s somewhat refreshing.

Hold onto your horses just a little bit longer, Idol fans. All will be revealed soon enough. Let’s just hope the revelation is such a disappointment it damages American Idol forever.