Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie All Returning for ‘American Idol’ Season 3
Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie will all be back for Season 3 of American Idol on ABC. The television network announced on Monday (Aug. 5) that the series' three judges, who have been with the show since its first season on ABC, have officially signed their contracts for the next season.
ABC renewed American Idol for its third season on the network, and its 18th season overall, in May. Bryan, Perry and Richie, however, only recently signed their new contracts. The financial terms of those contracts were not made available. “I always like to find out what Blake (Blake Shelton) is making on The Voice and just do it $1 more than him,” Bryan joked back in May.
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Country radio DJ Bobby Bones will also be back for Idol's third ABC season, acting as the show's in-house mentor. Not yet announced to return, however, is the show's long-time host, Ryan Seacrest, but ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke says she "do[es] not believe he will be missing" (quote via the Hollywood Reporter). Conversations with Seacrest — who has been part of American Idol since its very first season — are "ongoing," she adds.
"American Idol is the original music competition series. It was the first of its kind to take everyday singers and catapult them into superstardom, launching the careers of so many amazing artists," Burke says in a statement. "We couldn’t be more excited for Katy, Luke, Lionel and Bobby to continue in their roles as American Idol searches for the next great music star, with more live episodes and exciting, new creative elements coming this season."
American Idol's third season on ABC is set to begin in Spring 2020. Auditions began on July 23 in Brooklyn, N.Y., and will continue in various cities until late September.
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