So You Think You Can Dance judge Nigel Lythgoe has advised American Idol bosses to avoid replacing Simon Cowell and to stick with a three judge format next year.

Lythgoe, who of course produced Idol from 2002 until 2008, told CTV news that he was never a fan of a four way judging panel on the FOX reality TV show and said that an extra person leads to the focus being drawn to the judges antics and not to the musical talent.

Lythgoe said:

“It’s never been my opinion that four judges work on that program because it should be about the talent.”

“The team took their eye off the ball a little bit and was more worried about the judges and what was happening with them than it was regarding the talent last year. It became about Kara (DioGuardi) joining and making the fourth judge, Paula (Abdul) leaving, Ellen (Degeneres) joining and Simon leaving and much more about them and concentrating on that than on the talent that they were finding.”

“It wasn’t a vintage year.”

We think Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze might have something to say about that!