Jennifer Lopez has strongly hinted she could quit 'American Idol'.

The 42-year-old singer has been a judge on the talent show for the past two series, and while she has "enjoyed" being a panellist on the programme "so much", the brunette beauty admits it's "maybe time" to leave to free up her schedule for movie roles and a return to performing.

She said: "The truth is ... I've just enjoyed it so much, but I am thinking it's maybe time for me to go and do other things I really love to do like films and ... performing.

"This has been a great journey, but then again I really love the show so, all I can tell you is what I'm thinking."

Jennifer - who is on the panel alongside Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson - admits it will be a "heartbreaking decision" if she does decide to quit 'American Idol', but she has been forced to put a number of other projects on hold to judge on the show.

Speaking on the 'Today' show, she added: "[Returning to 'Idol' has] been on my mind a lot, as you can imagine.

"You know, I signed on to 'American Idol' to do one year, and ... I wound up doing the two years. And now it's like, 'OK, do we continue on this journey?' I've loved it so much. I enjoy the show so much. I enjoy just the whole process of the show and the whole thing. So it's a tough decision either way.

"But I have to say that there are so many other things that I do, and that I put on hold for that. At the end of the day, whichever way, it's a heartbreaking decision if I'm going to have to go."