JUST IN: Bobby Bones Is Not Returning To ‘American Idol’
It’s official – Bobby Bones is not returning as the in-house mentor on American Idol. The radio and television personality…
Bobby Bones; Photo by Eric McCandless, ABC
It’s official – Bobby Bones is not returning as the in-house mentor on American Idol.
The radio and television personality confirmed the news via Instagram stories when answering fan questions on Thursday (Dec. 30).
“Some of you noticed I’m not in the Idol promos this season. My contract with my new network won’t let me do another show right now,” he revealed, adding, “Love Idol, BTW. Was a great four years.”
Bones joined American Idol during its first season at ABC in 2018. During seasons 1 and 2, Bones was the mentor for the Top 24.
He was later brought on as the official in-house mentor for seasons 3 and 4 on the network.
Season 20 (season 5 at ABC) of American Idol, featuring Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, and longtime host, Ryan Seacrest, is set to premiere on Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 8/7c on ABC.
Bones’ next venture remains unknown. He recently spent several weeks filming for a yet-to-be-announced project in Costa Rica.
“As soon as I can say, I will. The network hasn’t even announced the show yet,” Bones shared when asked when he will be able to reveal why he was in Central America. “So I’m going to chill for a bit. But it’s a really good show.”
Bobby Bones is the host of the nationally syndicated iHeartRadio program The Bobby Bones Show, which broadcasts to over 185 stations and is the No. 1 country morning show with millions of monthly listeners. He is the youngest-ever inductee into the prestigious National Radio Hall of Fame and winner of season 27 of Dancing with the Stars.
In 2021, Bones’ show Breaking Bobby Bones debuted on National Geographic. He also serves as the host and executive producer of Circle Network’s Opry and is a two-time New York Times #1 bestselling author.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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