After both Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres announced their departure from American Idol earlier this year, chatter spread that everyone from actor/singer Jamie Foxx to shock jock Howard Stern might fill their seats. One music mind missing from the jabber: Cee-Lo Green.

The Dungeon Family alum says he spoke about the vacant spot with friend and Idol judge Randy Jackson, who pushed him to vie for the post.

“I was asked,” Cee-Lo says of joining the American Idol panel. “[Jackson and I] talked about it very, very casually. [He said,] ‘Go for it. It’s open, who could really argue with that? I support you.’”

While Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler were eventually given the nod, Cee-Lo says he doesn’t think the position was right for him.

“I think we were just kind of joking around,” continues the artist behind the viral single “Fuck You!,” which is currently hovering high on Billboard Hot 100. “I don’t think I would’ve been up for doing it. I’m not a judge of people. I observe, but I don’t judge people.”

One collaborator who’s been under the media’s scrutiny is Bruno Mars, a co-writer of “Fuck You!” who was recently charged with felony cocaine possession. Cee-Lo says the singer is in good spirits.

“I spoke to him last night,” the Goodie Mob member told VIBE Friday afternoon (Oct. 8.). “Truthfully, we laughed a little bit about it. He said that he was a little embarrassed and of course it was an inconvenient incident that hopefully he can put behind him. I believe that his work ethic, his attitude, will outshine the incident overall.”

Cee-Lo Green’s third solo album, The Lady Killer, hits stores on Nov. 9. —John Kennedy

SEE ALSO:

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7t7XBnmWcp51ku6bD0micp6yVp8Gitc2mnKesX6t6psTCpaysoaaaeqSxxGajqGWjlsa0eceeZK2toqOypXnDqK6nZZGisrO1wpqlZqGUpLluttSdnp5lo5qutXnSqZyao6Nir7PBzahkppmiqHqlvtSgZG5sZWaBcA%3D%3D