American Idol may have started as that reality competition series with the mean judge (we’re looking at you, Simon Cowell), but it’s quickly evolved into a massively popular staple on the Fox schedule. With every season that wraps up, we need to know which impressive music stars are going to take over as judges (or which ones are going to stick around).
While of course we love following the singers who won American Idol and we like watching to see which new music stars will emerge, the American Idol judges are also fun and entertaining. Who are the current American Idol judges who give advice, praise new talent, and yes, sometimes get a little harsh?
Who are the judges on American Idol?
The current judges on American Idol are Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. While Katy Perry was part of this group for several years, she won’t be coming back to American Idol season 23. Since she was a judge starting in season 16 and ending in season 22, this was surprising news for fans of both the pop singer and the competition series. While she was on the show for a long time, Randy Jackson also spent years as a judge on Idol.
We’ll be happy to tune into American Idol season 23 to see Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan again since they’re legends in their respective genres. From “All Night Long” to “Endless Love,” Richie’s influence on the music industry can’t be overstated. Bryan, for his part, has made a huge impact on the country scene since his 2007 debut album.
Of course, now all we can think about is who will take Katy Perry’s American Idol judging spot. It would make sense if it was another pop singer since she brought so much experience to the role.
While fans wondered if Kelly Clarkson would get the job, she said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that she isn’t going to. The season 1 winner we all know and love (okay, we don’t know her personally, but we wish we did) shared that she told her children she wouldn’t take a job that would make her spend a lot of time in Los Angeles. Clarkson explained she stopped being a coach on The Voice for that same reason.
After Katy Perry shared that she was going to quit American Idol in February 2024, she explained in an April 2024 interview with Entertainment Tonight that she was going to focus on other parts of her music career.
She said, “I’m just trying to make space for other things. It’s not like me ending this show means I’m going to go retire on an island, even though that would be fabulous. I’m gonna go to work.”
Perry’s choice to quit is also a big deal because she, Richie, and Bryan all started in 2018. We got to used to seeing them together and we’ll definitely miss seeing them joking around. After all, what’s a music competition series without some friendly jabs? We want to see the American Idol judges having a good time. While we’re sure the new judge will be just as awesome as the “Firework” singer, we’ll always look back on Katy Perry’s American Idol days fondly.
