Fresh off the announcement that Dr. Luke would have to back out of his deal as an American Idol judge, Idol producers are frantically searching to find his replacement and are hopeful o bring on frequent guest Harry Connick Jr.

According to E! News, Connick Jr. is the top choice to join the judging table alongside Jennifer Lopez and returning judge Keith Urban.

This isn’t the first time the singer/actor has been approached to take a spot on the judging panel. In May Connick was asked if he was “interested” in taking on the gig, but at the time the former Will & Grace actor noted it would take a $600 million check for him to sign on. “I'm going on tour this year so, like, when would I do it? It's that kind of thing,” he explained at the time.

Idol producers need to work quickly to find a replacement for Dr.Luke, who bowed out due to creative differences. The new season of Idol is slated to kick off in the early fall, but may have to push the date back till they find a third judge.

Image: Fox