American Idol season 22: Katy Perry, judges officially returning
According to a report coming in from TVLine, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan will continue to oversee the judging panel. Meanwhile, Ryan Seacrest will return as host. For those wondering whether the latter’s new gig on Wheel of Fortune will impact his future here, the simple answer is “no.” He won’t even start filming the game show until the 2024-25 season and even when he does, we tend to think he will be able to do both.
The only real question mark that we had entering season 22 of American Idol was Perry, given that she had the rockiest season out of anyone. She came under some criticism for the way that she spoke to certain contestants, and at times it felt like she was set up most to deliver the hard news during the live shows. Plenty of people wondered if she would prefer to just move on, but she is back and we understand why. She does have a great rapport with the other judges, and we tend to think this is a really nice gig. The pay is generous, the schedule isn’t overly insane, and it serves as a platform to promote a number of other things.
As for when this season is going to premiere, there is no specific premiere date as of yet and there won’t be for some time. We’d still be willing to bet late February or early March. Because this show is governed by a separate SAG-AFTRA agreement than the one at the center of the strike, there won’t be any issues with the judges or Seacrest appearing. (We can’t even speak to whether or not they are in the union.)
What are you most excited to see heading into American Idol season 22?
Not only that, but what do you think about the new judging panel? Be sure to share right away in the comments! Once you do just that, be sure to come back for other updates.
(Photo: ABC.)
This article was written by Jessica BunBun.