Luke Bryan arrives at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards at the T-Mobile Arena on Sunday, April 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) (Associated Press)
Amid the news that ABC will pick up the smash hit singing competition “American Idol,” now that Fox is done with it, the question on everyone’s minds is who will round out the judges panel? With one celebrity already a lock, new rumors indicate the three stars the network is allegedly courting to judge the latest crop of contestants.
It was previously announced that superstar Katy Perry would be the first celebrity to join the updated judges panel. However, she’s not going to be able to whittle down the crop of hundreds to just one amazing singer on her own. According to The Hollywood Reporter, ABC, FremantleMedia and Core Media have their short list of people to fill the judges seats. The outlet reports that Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Charlie Puth are the frontrunners to lead the “Idol” reboot.
Lionel Richie accepts the lifetime achievement award at the BET Awards at the Nokia Theatre on Sunday, June 29, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Richie is an obvious choice as his hits have stood the test of time and he continues to be an iconic musician in the public eye. Bryan is also a sensible choice given the ABC network’s relationship to country music and its stars. Finally, Puth would be a good get as his star is on the rise and he could represent a big draw for younger fans. Additionally, all of them are proven performers and could help round out the longer episodes of the later rounds.
Singer Charlie Puth greets the crowd during NBC's 'Today' Show Summer Concert Series in New York City, New York, U.S., June 17, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid - RTX2GSR0 (REUTERS)
It seems the judges table is going to look a lot different than it did when Harry Connick Jr., Keith Urban and Jennifer Lopez vacated the big chairs and the show bowed out on Fox in 2015. However, one constant for the series will be host Ryan Seacrest. It was previously reported that the 42-year-old host would return to the reboot at a new network, officially earning him a 16th season as the show’s frontman.
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