American Idol suggests it has a huge announcement | TV Shows

American Idol returns for its twenty fourth season in 2026, and Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie are set to return as the show judges.

Bryan and Richie have been judges on the Fox show together since 2018, and Underwood just joined this yr as Katy Perry’s substitute.

Varietyreported that the show’s longtime host Ryan Seacrest was not talked about on one of the expertise competitors’s press releases, suggesting he might not return for the new sequence.

It could be a huge shock if he doesn’t characteristic on because he has been the host of the show since the show’s premiere in 2002.

The show’s audition course of will start on August 26, and candidates will first have to sing just about for producers.

If they’re profitable, they’d have to maintain in-person auditions across all 50 states and Washington. D.C.

Underwood received Season Four of the show in 2005 and then went on to turn into a best-selling artist.

After Perry announced that she’d be leaving the judges’ chair, she told Jimmy Kimmel on his show that she looks like she wants “to exit and really feel that pulse to my own beat.”

She also talked about that the co-judges she had turn into close to may need seen her transfer coming because she had gone into the recording studio to work on her own music.

At the time she said she was quitting, Richie joked, “I think as it goes on, Luke and I will probably get together and realize that we’re going to kidnap her.”

American Idol has produced music superstars like Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson, Season 5 contestant Chris Daughtry and Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino.

The show is produced by Fremantle and 19 Entertainment, a half of Sony Pictures Television. Its showrunner is Megan Wolflick – she govt produces alongside Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman of 19 Entertainment.

Among the judges who have appeared on the show are Simon Cowell, who featured in sequence one to 9, and was identified for his harsh critiques and dry supply, with a eager ear for expertise.

Another was music govt Randy Jackson, who appeared in seasons one to 2, and was identified for being firm but truthful during his run.

Speaking about judging fashion, Jackson told Entertainment Tonight, “I just really wanted to be honest. I wanted to be somewhat encouraging, but if you’re really delusional and have terrible talent, I’m gonna say you have a terrible talent.”