"TMZ" claims to have seen the short list to replace Sharon Osbourne at "America's Got Talent," and it's topped by singers LeAnn Rimes and Carly Simon, and former "Beverly Hills 90210"/"Charmed" star Shannen Doherty.

Bing: More about 'America's Got Talent' | Shannen Doherty

According to the report, the talent show is seeking a "strong and opinionated woman" to hold her own against "AGT" judges Howie Mandel and (especially) Howard Stern. Both Simon and Doherty qualify with strength and opinion to spare. (Also, both have appeared as guests on Stern's radio show, which suggests a lack of revulsion to the idea of working with him.)

Osbourne quit "AGT" earlier this year fuming, according to reports, at NBC for dropping her son, Jack, from a reality show due to his MS diagnosis.

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Meantime, Stern and Mandel have yet to renew their contracts, so there may be three new "AGT" judgeships to fill.

Keeping checking this blog for the latest!

Season 8 of "America's Got Talent" is expected to premiere in 2013.

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"Basketball Wives LA" star Gloria Govan is convinced she is on the cusp of getting fired from the hit VH1 show because her NBA player husband Matt Barnes refuses to be part of the series. The reality TV regular believes that although network execs have yet to make her firing official, Govan has a feeling she won't be asked to return for the third season, mainly because she did not let the cameras into her wedding with Barnes this past summer.

Bing: More about Gloria Govan | 'Basketball Wives LA'

She candidly tells TMZ.com that the show's producers are waiting to give her the bad news after the Season 2 reunion show because they want her to be present at the taping. Govan admits she hasn't decided whether she will take part in the reunion special or not.

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Olympian Greg Louganis has been tapped to be a judge on ABC's upcoming diving competition "Celebrity Splash." The five-time Olympic medalist will be one of three judges for the alphabet network's newest reality competition program. Based on a Dutch show, the unscripted series will put the diving skills of celebrities to the test as they attempt to conquer jumps off the diving board, with difficulties increasing each week.

Bing: More about Greg Louganis | 'Celebrity Splash'

Louganis shares his excitement for the upcoming project with the Hollywood Reporter, as well as his passion for the sport that earned him four gold medals and a silver in three different Olympic games. He explains, "There is nothing more gratifying to an elite athlete than to see his or her sport excite audiences and resonate with fans. Diving is one of those unique disciplines requiring fitness, physical strength, precision and artistry. I am thrilled to be part of bringing the sport that I love to a large TV audience -- which won’t have to wait until Rio 2016 to see some pretty incredible diving." "Celebrity Splash" is slated to premiere in 2013.

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"American Idol" judge Nicki Minaj is pleased she was snubbed as a judge on "The X Factor last year" because she "wasn't completely sold" on the format of the show. The "Superbass" hitmaker was among the names tipped to appear as a mentor on Simon Cowell's hit show when it launched in 2011, but she was not part of the lineup when it was announced.

Bing: More on 'American Idol' | Mariah Carey | Nicki Minaj | Ryan Seacrest

British singer Cheryl Cole was unveiled as one of the judges but was subsequently replaced by Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger during the auditions stage of the contest. Minaj admits that although she was "honored" to have been considered, she's convinced the timing was all wrong as she was still establishing herself as a musician.

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She tells U.K. talk show host Alan Carr, "We were in talks up until the last minute. He went with Nicole. It just wasn't right. I wasn't completely sold on it. I didn't think the show really knew my work at the time either. I love Simon. I have been such a fan of Simon for such a long time, and just to have him interested, I was honored."

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"X Factor" judge Simon Cowell's secret strategy to keep girl group 1432 in the competition was not to save them right away. On Thursday's results show, the music mogul was faced with the difficult decision of choosing between which one of the groups he's mentored for the past few weeks to send home.

Bing: 'The X Factor' | Photos: See the hopefuls

When it came down to decision time, Cowell immediately sent through fan favorite Emblem3 and rap group LYRIC 145 to the top 12, leaving sibling group Sister C and fivesome 1432 to sing for their survival. And now, the show creator reveals to the Hollywood Reporter that he had a secret agenda by putting the girl group in the bottom two. He divulges, "I was going to save 1432, and then I got a bit tactical because I’d heard them sing 'Skyscraper.' And I thought, 'If the audience can hear this before next week, they are going to appreciate them as better singers. The risk was they could've screwed it up, and we could have lost them. So it was kind of a risky thing to do, but I think it worked ... Now they (the viewers) got to know them a bit better I think it will be a help."

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1432, previously called LYLAS, was a group that was formed by Cowell, after the five girls auditioned as individuals but failed to make the next round in the teen category. Cowell also hopes that their extra time on air will help viewers get a better sense of who they are as an ensemble, and give them a better group name by sending in suggestions in an online vote.

"The X Factor" airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.

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Nicki Minaj is looking forward to showing fans a behind-the-scenes look at her life in her upcoming three-part reality TV special. Months before her "American Idol" judging debut, the "Superbass" singer is letting viewers into her life with her upcoming reality series on the E! Network, called "Nicki Minaj: My Truth."

Bing: More on 'American Idol' | Mariah Carey | Nicki Minaj | Ryan Seacrest

In an interview with "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest during his radio show on Wednesday, Minaj shared with fans what they can expect from the tell-all series. She explains, "You're going to see the no makeup, the crazy sweaty face in the studio -- you know, the regular stuff. You're going to see rehearsals for the tour. People always see the glamorous side of the tour when I'm all made up and done up and everything is already set in stone. You're going to see the behind-the-scenes stuff -- me saying how I really feel about the people who interview me. And a good part of what I love about the special is that it's showing the people around me, the people I love, the people I have to be with everyday, and it's showing us take on these new things that are going my way recently."

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Minaj certainly has a lot on her plate -- shooting callback auditions for "Idol," three music videos released within the past month and her current European tour. The first installment of "Nicki Minaj: My Truth" premieres Sunday.

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"Harold and Kumar" star Kal Penn has been tapped to host and produce Discovery Channel's new engineering reality competition show. Contestants on "The Big Brain Theory" will have 30 minutes to complete an engineering challenge, and an expert panel of judges will determine who has the best concept and execution.

Bing: More about Kal Penn

According to Deadline.com, the show will follow the competitors as they take on the tasks, and will also include the behind-the-scenes drama that goes on in their shared home.

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The winner of the competition will win $50,000, as well as a one-year contract to work for Water Entertainment Technologies -- the Los Angeles-based water and fire feature design company behind famous landmarks such as the fountains at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The eight-episode program is slated to debut in the spring of 2013.