Luke Bryan and Fellow ‘American Idol’ Judges Talk Possible Return

It was recently confirmed that American Idol has been renewed for a fourth season at ABC, and 18th season overall,…

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Lauren Jo Black

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May 20, 2020

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2:48 pm

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Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan; Photo by ABC/Eric McCandless

It was recently confirmed that American Idol has been renewed for a fourth season at ABC, and 18th season overall, however, the network has yet to reveal if the judges, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, will return for the next season.

After this week’s Idol finale, where Samantha ‘Just Sam’ Diaz was crowned winner, the judges opened up about their future with the show and it sounds like fans might be seeing the same faces on the judges’ panel next season.

“I think what everybody needs to realize is that this crew, this team we started with American Idol — we kind of had to revamp the vibe and it takes a little time to rebuild that,” Bryan told reporters after the show. “To go from year one to where we are now, it just feels great. We’ll leave these phone calls and we’ll start talking it out and plan next year, but I know I certainly love where we’re at as the show. I love the product that we’re putting out.”

“We usually start taping in September or October,” Perry, who is pregnant with her first child shared. “I think this whole year is a year of unknown and uncertainty. I think we’ll probably have a plan A, B, and C. I hope we’re all going to be judging on the show. That would fun to stay the same. But I think we kind of just have to go with the flow and be malleable like we were for the end of Idol.”

“What we did this time, we’re actually proving to the world that it’s not just a cute show,” Richie added. “We’re turning out real artists. Being with Katy and Luke, I can’t imagine being with anyone else on this show because it’s just been so fun, but at the same time, so productive. We are actually scaring ourselves when it comes down to what we’re getting in terms of artists. I’m enjoying the process. Bring on the next season, we’re ready.”

At this time, it is also unclear if longtime host Ryan Seacrest and in-house mentor Bobby Bones will return.

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Lauren Jo Black

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

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.