American Idol the fans knew it Katy Perry was leaving the show after the recent conclusion of season 22 — but is an even bigger shakeup coming to the judging panel?
In a new interview with Billboard, Lucas Bryan opens up about which stars were in talks to replace Perry – but admits there’s a chance he and Lionel Richie may also be on the road to extinction.
“It was interesting,” says the country star about Idol‘s changes for next season. “It’s been something that Disney has been very secretive about with me, Lionel and (the host) Ryan (Seacrest). We haven’t heard what the story is right now about who’s coming back, and whether Lionel and I are coming back. I think Disney is just trying to figure out what they want to do and we’re just sitting and waiting until they decide.”
If Bryan and Richie do return, the “Love You, Miss You, Mean It” singer says they’ll likely be seated next to one of the three A-listers. Bryan teased ET last month.
“I think pink was in negotiations, Miley Cyrus was in negotiations, Meghan Trainor is in negotiations,” he reveals.
Pink told ET earlier this year that she didn’t feel like the right person for the job, explaining: “I don’t like hurting people’s feelings… I like my day job.”
Alternatively, Trainor — who served as a coach on Idol season 22 — shared with ET last month that becoming a judge would be the “biggest dream on her bucket list coming true.”
“There is nothing I want more in life than to be a judge in American Idol” Trainor said. “Please! I’m ready. I’d love to.”
Ultimately, whoever ends up taking Perry’s place will have a big challenge ahead of them, says Bryan. Billboard.
“Katy was really perfect for the job, and I think they’re working really hard to find someone who can really come in and do the job that Katy did,” he shares.
Following Idols season 22 finale — in which Abi Carter was crowned the newest American Idol — Perry spoke to ET about who she would like to see replace her.
“I hope it’s someone who’s fearless. I hope it’s someone who doesn’t mince words, maybe someone who’s a little polarizing like me,” Perry said. “There are a lot of people who are like, ‘She’s horrible! She should go!’ And there are a lot of people who are like, ‘She speaks her mind! She’s authentic!’ Either way, you can’t win them all. I think it’s better not to win them all because that means you actually have a point of view.”
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