Lionel Ritchie Has Been Named The Third American Idol Judge
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September 29, 2017TMZ is reporting that Lionel Ritchie was chosen as the third and final judge for the next season of American Idol:
“American Idol” has completed the arduous and super expensive process of snagging 3 judges for the show’s reboot … and it didn’t come a day too soon.
Sources connected with the production tell TMZ, ABC and Fremantle, which co-owns the show with Core Media Group, will announce as early as Friday night they have signed Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie as judges #2 and 3.
Luke and Lionel will join Katy Perry … and join her fast. We’re told shooting begins Tuesday.
We’re told although Luke and Lionel have agreed to join, there could be a delay in announcing if the lawyers start nitpicking.
Production sources tell us, the show has gone way over the intended budget … largely because Katy Perry held them up for $25 million. Ryan Seacrest’s making somewhere between $10 and $15 mil, and that pretty much blew the budget sky high.
We’re told Luke signed for around $13 million and Lionel got close to $10 million. It’s going to be difficult to turn a profit unless the show is an out-of-the-park home run.
JEEZ LOUISE!
The Chicks and I would have done it for WAAAAAY cheaper! American Idol: COTR Edition.
I wonder who the mean one would be? I’d probably be the Paula of the group. I cry a lot.
It would have been a HIT.
Anyway, Luke Bryan responded to the announcement, and it’s kinda adorable:
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If the video doesn’t work for you, watch it HERE.
Luke Bryan just made official what we told you about early this morning — he and Lionel Richie are joining Katy Perry as judges #2 and 3 on “American Idol.”
The country star made the announcement in a video he posted on Twitter just moments ago and hours after TMZ first reported the pending news.
Luke — all the way from Hayfield, Kansas — said he’s excited to join “the beautiful Ms. Katy Perry and my hero Lionel Richie and my fellow Georgia boy, Ryan Seacrest.”
He’s precious.
Katy Perry is an absolute seahag… but Luke and Lionel are pretty cool!
Will you watch?
