American Idol judges Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie reunited at Bryan’s recent concert to confirm they’ll all be back on the panel for Season 25 of the show. Richie appeared virtually, as he recently underwent a heart procedure.
American Idol Judges Announce Their Return
On Thursday night, Luke Bryan performed a concert at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. During the show, the country star surprised fans by welcoming his American Idol co-star Carrie Underwood to the stage. The two joined forces on a cover of Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer.”
But Underwood wasn’t the only Idol judge to make an appearance during Bryan’s concert. A video of Lionel Richie was shown on a stage behind the pair, in which the music legend asked, “Do you want to share our secret?”
Bryan then confirmed that all three judges will be back on the panel for Season 25 of American Idol, to air next year on ABC. Underwood made sure to add that longtime host Ryan Seacrest will also be back on the show. Seacrest recently hinted that the full cast would return, so this might not come as much of a surprise to fans.
It was recently announced that production for Season 25 of the show will be moving out of California and into Georgia. This change apparently “blindsided” many crew members on the West Coast.
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Lionel Richie Recently Underwent a Heart Procedure
The video of Lionel Richie which was played at Bryan’s recent concert appears to have been prerecorded. It makes sense that Richie would not appear live, since it was recently reported that he underwent a heart procedure.
According to Richie’s rep, the 77-year-old musician “underwent a common procedure for Atrial fibrillation (AFib),” adding, “The doctor said everything went perfectly. Lionel is doing great but will take some time off and will be back on stage soon.”
Last month, Richie checked himself into the ICU after a concert in St. Louis, Missouri. Earlier this year, the singer was hospitalized after he experienced dizziness on stage. Hopefully he’ll be feeling better by the time American Idol begins filming for Season 25.
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What do you think about the announcement that all three judges will be returning to the panel for the new season? Let us know in the comments below.
