'American Idol' Revival News, Air Date: Lionel Richie Joins Katy Perry and Luke Bryan as Third Judge
ABC's "American Idol" reboot has finally found its third and final judge.
By now, fans know that ABC has already signed Katy Perry to be the revival's anchor judge. And according to TMZ, Lionel Richie has been tapped to fill the last seat at the judges' table. The media outlet also reported that he will be getting almost $10 million out of the deal, which is less than half of Perry's alleged $25 million payday.
Earlier last month, Variety revealed that country singer Luke Bryan would be the second judge to join the "American Idol" reboot. Bryan confirmed the news himself through a video message uploaded on his Twitter account. The 41-year-old Georgia native also broke the news of Richie's involvement. And not long after that, Richie likewise took to social media to announce the big news.
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TMZ previously reported that Bryan would be receiving around $13 million for the judging gig. And with Ryan Seacrest returning to host for a sum between $10 and $15 million, ABC is reportedly already over their intended budget.
There were already previous rumors circulating that ABC was negotiating a deal with Richie, and it looks like the talks panned out. Other notable artists who were apparently considered for the job were Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx, Charlie Puth and Keith Urban. It can be recalled that Urban served as a judge on the original "American Idol" during its final years.
Auditions have taken place and filming is slated to commence on Tuesday, Oct. 3. However, according to TMZ, filming could get stalled should they fail to finalize the contracts.
The original run of "American Idol" ended in April 2016. With the reboot scheduled to premiere in March 2018, the reality singing competition would have only been off the air for one year. The show lasted for 15 seasons on FOX before being revived by ABC.
Stay tuned for the latest news and updates.
