Sheen & Carey Tapped For American Idol Role

Charlie Sheen has said he would be keen to land one of the vacant judging roles on American Idol.

Sheen said Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe had publicly thrown his name out there as a possible judge.

"It seems so out of the blue that it almost made perfect sense," he told Idol host Ryan Seacrest's radio show.

"I thought this could be a lot of fun. Seriously, I'm genuinely interested. It's so different, it could be radical."

Sheen, 46, may not have music experience, but neither did Ellen DeGeneres before she was named a judge for the ninth season, although she left the show after just one stint.

Last week, both Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler announced they would not be returning for the show's 12th season.

Sheen had previously said the team on his new sitcom Anger Management "would have to be into it" and there would need to be a charitable component if he was to become a judge.

Mariah Carey is already believed to have been approached about the other vacant slot.

A person familiar with the show's negotiations said Carey was being pursued to join the judging panel of the Fox talent competition.

The source requested anonymity because of the private nature of negotiations, which were termed as "serious".

Carey has also been courted by other talent competitions, and her name has been thrown out in the past for Idol and other shows.

After the departure of Lopez and Aerosmith frontman Tyler, Randy Jackson, who is a manager, producer and friend of Carey's, is the only judge left.

There are reports that while Jackson is staying on in Idol, his actual role in the show may be changing.

If 42-year-old Carey were to join, she would bring considerable expertise to the show.

The five times Grammy-winner is one of the best-selling artists of all time, with numerous No 1 hits.

Carey is currently working on a new album, her first since her twins were born last year.

It would also give Idol a dose of superstardom, which is key considering the star power on shows like the US version of The X Factor.

That show has added Britney Spears and Demi Lovato as judges, and will begin its second season in the autumn.

American Idol has been US TV's most popular programme for nearly a decade, but has had a marked downturn in its audience.

It was once a juggernaut when it came to the ratings, but its last finale drew the smallest audience in its 11-season history.