Britney Spears is close to finalizing a $15 million deal to serve as the new superstar judge on Simon Cowell's talent show The X Factor, according to online reports.

The "Toxic" hitmaker has been rumored to be in talks to take a seat alongside Cowell and producer Antonio "L.A." Reid on the panel for weeks and now insiders claim the big announcement is imminent.

Spears is said to be ready to sign on the dotted line after being offered a $15 million payday - after she reportedly turned down $10 million.

A source tells E! Online, "Both camps were back and forth on the money but now they have finally come to agreement on the fee.

"That was the big sticking point and now, thankfully, it's been sorted. All they need to do now is work out the smaller points. The fact the money is now set means that there is nothing stopping this from becoming a reality."

Fans had feared the pop star would be too fragile to handle the pressure of the publicity surrounding the show - but reports suggest her fiance, Jason Trawick, will be by her side as a producer.

A source adds, "Jason is expected to be there every day Britney is on set. He is her rock and will help guide her through the process. He is the person she trusts the most."

Spears will sit on the panel alongside Cowell and Antonio 'L.A.' Reid, as well as another female judge.

The two newcomers will replace Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger as judges.
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Whoopi Goldberg is coming to "Glee." "The View" co-host will appear in multiple episodes of the Fox series, according to TVLine. And Lindsay Lohan may not be far behind.

Goldberg will play Carmen Tibideaux, a professor at New York Academy of the Dramatic Arts -- Rachel and Kurt's coveted NYADA -- who comes to Ohio to oversee auditions. TVLine reports Goldberg will appear in three episodes of the series, the first of which is set to air Tues., May 1. Look for Goldberg's character to deliver the final verdict to Kurt and Rachel. But whether they get in to NYADA or not, Rachel (Lea Michele) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) will appear in Season 4 of "Glee."

The Hollywood Reporter confirmed TVLine's casting report.

"Glee" star Michele took to Twitter to share her feelings on Goldberg's casting.

Goldberg, an EGOT recipient, recently filmed a guest role for ABC's "The Middle." Aside from her hosting duties on "The View," Goldberg has made guest appearances on numerous shows including "The Cleaner," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "Everybody Hates Chris." She starred in a self-titled sitcom from 2003-2004.

TVLine also reports Lindsay Lohan is in final talks to appear on "Glee." The actress, who recently mounted a career comeback with a "Saturday Night Live" hosting gig, would reportedly play herself on the musical comedy. If all goes according to plan, Lohan will appear as a celebrity judge at the glee club Nationals competition.

After the semi-shocking Jermaine Jones disqualification last night, I had some doubts that "American Idol" would eliminate another contestant this week, but apparently sentimentality wasn't going to get in the way of a good show.

Though it was a sub-par week that saw plenty of contestants finding loopholes for the "song from the year of your birth" theme by using covers of older tunes, there were a few standout performances -- most notably Joshua Ledet's rousing rendition of "When a Man Loves a Woman." Tonight's results were, again, all filler and no thriller, complete with a cameo from Tommy Hilfiger -- who is apparently tasked with being the show's "image advisor," poor thing -- and performances by Demi Lovato and Chris Daughtry.

But all you really want to know is who was shown the door, and that contestant was ...

Shannon Magrane.

Her performance of Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day" was weak and pitchy on Wednesday night, but in true "Idol" fashion, the judges loved it. "I was honestly terrified for you, but you did a beautiful job with that," Jennifer told her last night, while Randy called her "fearless." Luckily, America and Jimmy Iovine weren't half as tone-deaf as the judges apparently were, and after an encore performance designed to tempt the judges into using their coveted "Save" on her, the statuesque 16-year-old was sent packing. She kept a smile on her face, but I'm sure she was crying on the inside.

All the other contestants will be making the rounds on the "Idol" tour once the season is over, and now I'm sure the systematic removal of all the women in the competition will resume, as it does every season. Still, Shannon was a smart choice to go home since she's still young and vocally immature, and she clearly needs to overcome her confidence issues before taking on such big songs on such a huge platform. Joining her in the bottom three were Erika Van Pelt and Elise Testone, because a pretty male face is apparently far more important than vocal range or stage presence.