If you like your ‘Idol’ judges, you can keep your ‘Idol’ judges — Katy, Luke and Lionel will be back next year
While there were hints that ABC might not bring back pop princess Katy Perry, country good ol’ boy Luke Bryan and R&B icon Lionel Richie as judges for “American Idol’s” Season 18, ABC announced that the trio will be returning for the rebooted singing contest’s third go-round on the network in spring 2020. Also coming back is radio DJ Bobby Bones as the in-house mentor to the contestants.
While there was talk that the threesome’s salaries might be a problem, considering that Perry was supposedly cashing in with a cool $25 million for each season. But their returns were revealed by ABC’s President of Entertainment Karey Burke at the annual gathering of the Television Critics Association.
The one piece of news that was not shared is whether longtime host Ryan Seacrest will continue to emcee the musical proceedings. Burke did say of Seacrest’s status,”I do not believe that he will be missing. We’re in ongoing conversations about Ryan returning and I am hopeful.”
During the latest season when country singer Laine Hardy claimed the “Idol” title over fan favorite Alejandro Aranda, Seacrest took his first-ever sick day — with Bones filling in. When we asked “Idol” fans what they thought of him as a substitute, 81% said that Bones hit a high note as a last-minute replacement.
The search for the next “American Idol” is already ongoing, with open auditions in New York City before moving on to 21 more cities this month. Hopefuls can also submit videos online or on social media.
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