AnAmerican Idoljudge is uncertain about returning for season 24 after much speculation about whether Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie will come back to the show.American Idolseason 23 featured host Ryan Seacrest, along withjudges Luke, Lionel, and season 4 winner Carrie Underwood, who took Katy Perry’s place when the latter judge left the show after seven seasons.
During theAmerican Idolseason 23finale,Jamal Roberts was crowned the winner, with John Foster as the runner-up, and Breanna Nix placing third.
AnAmerican Idoljudge is uncertain about returning for season 24 after much speculation about whether Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie will come back to the show.
In an interview withTaste of Country,Luke revealed that he’s still not sure if he’ll be returning forAmerican Idolseason 24. He explained that he doesn’t yet know if he’ll be back, stating,“Idol is kind of a year-by-year, ‘Do we do it or not?'”
Luke emphasized that he loves being a judge on the reality singing competition series, and working with his fellow judges and Ryan. He gushed,“Last year was really, really incredible with Carrie and Lionel and Ryan, and the main thing is just, have fun with American Idol and have fun with the kids [contestants].”
However,Luke added,“We’ll see what happens,“implying that he’s not one hundred percent certain that he’ll be back.
On the other hand,Luke does think that Carrie will be back for her second season as anAmerican Idoljudge. He stated that he believes that she"really enjoyed it.“Luke added,“I know she had a great time in the role.“When making a guess about whether Carrie will return, he said,“My prediction would be highly favorable.”
What Luke Bryan Leaving American Idol Would Mean For The Show
Luke Has Been An American Idol Judge For Eight Seasons
Luke, Lionel, and Katy were the originalAmerican Idoljudges when ABC revived the show in 2018 after FOX canceled it in 2016. Luke has been with the show for eight seasons now, andhis absence would be greatly felt if he didn’t come back for season 24.
However, now thatCarrie’s anAmerican Idoljudge, and Luke’s predicting that she’ll return, perhaps it’s time for another shakeup at the judges’ table.The show doesn’t need two country music stars as judges, but instead could benefit from hiring a pop star to fill the void that Katy left.
Our Take On Luke Bryan Leaving American Idol
It Might Be Time For Luke To Move On
AlthoughLuke has done a fantastic jobas anAmerican Idoljudge, his time on the show may have run its course. In season 23 especially,he acted more like a cheerleader than a judge, showering the contestants with words of praise and standing ovations, rather than offering them any sort of constructive criticism.
In addition,Luke is still a successful and popular country music superstar. He released his eighth studio album,Mind of a Country Boyin 2024, and is currently on hisCountry Song Came Ontour. Luke has even stated that he said no toAmerican Idolwhen they first approached him to be a judge because his music career was going so well.
While it would definitely besad to see Luke leaveAmerican Idol, it might be what’s best for both him and the show. After 23 seasons,American Idolis always looking for new ways to stay fresh, andbringing in a new judge again might be the way to do it.
I have a feeling that Luke will end up coming back toAmerican Idol, and I’d welcome him with open arms, butI’d also be open to someone else taking his seat at the judges' table.
