Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images
Are Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan in Danger at ‘American Idol’? ‘Producers Are Panicked,’ Says Source
American Idol‘s Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan are in limbo after Katy Perry fled the reality singing contest amid sinking ratings — and sources exclusively tell Life & Style her departure may set off a chain reaction and leave the remaining TV judges out of a job.
Luke, 48, and Lionel, 75, had ruled Idol‘s bench with Katy, 39, since the former FOX hit was revived by Disney-owned ABC in 2018 — but are waiting to hear whether producers want them to return.
Country singer Luke says, “We currently haven’t heard what the story is on who’s coming back. I think Disney is just trying to figure out what they want to do. We’re just kind of sitting back and waiting until they decide.”
But a source tells Life & Style the “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” singer and pop star Lionel may soon hear their exit music as producers consider shaking up the struggling show. Idol drew about 8.7 million viewers during the trio’s inaugural season — but viewership sank to 5.6 million this year.
Sources say the drop could make it difficult to justify the men’s eight-figure salaries.
“Producers are panicked over the ratings slide and are debating whether to give American Idol a complete facelift with a whole new panel,” the insider reveals. “Katy opened the door for that by quitting!”
Adds the source, “There is a feeling Idol needs to get younger and draw a younger audience. Lionel is the oldest judge the show has ever had!”
Another source adds Luke may have sealed his fate by squealing bosses have chatted with notable replacements for Katy — including pop stars Pink, Miley Cyrus and Meghan Trainor.
“The producers like to keep those talks under wraps, so they can make a big splash with the announcement,” the source explains. “They weren’t happy Luke was talking out the school.”
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Life & Style does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.