Luke Bryan Just Revealed the Only Way He Is Going to Return to 'Idol' for Season 3
American Idol 2019 judge Luke Bryan has not signed a contract for season 3 of the ABC singing show.
Still, he told People after Laine Hardy won the season finale on Sunday that he "wants to keep it going" as long as Katy Perry and Lionel Richie are on board.
American Idol is reportedly looking to cut costs next year, which could impact Katy Perry's salary.
Okay, the good news is, American Idol has officially been renewed for season 3 (yay!) on ABC. The bad news? The judges, including country singer Luke Bryan, haven't signed on for it yet.
Right off the heels of the three-hour long finale last Sunday, People asked Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke what it would take to get them all to come back. By the sounds of it, the three judges agree that it would mean all of them saying "yes."
“You know, we’ve had an amazing two years. It feels like this year we [the judges] came in and had a clearer vision and developed our identity and our role,” Luke said about the second season of Idol on ABC. “We want to keep that going. We’re proud of what people at home are watching. I mean, I know Lionel and Katy are getting it when we walk down the street when somebody comes up and says, ‘We love the way you’re treating these kids on American Idol.’ It truly feels really great!"
Both Lionel and Katy seemed to agree with Luke, with Lionel saying that he wants "the same thing we did this year" to keep going. Katy added on that it felt good "that we're really getting to know each other."
While this interview makes it seem like all three are a shoo-in for next season, a Variety report tells a slightly different story. According to the publication, ABC and series producer Fremantle are trying to bring various costs of the show down in the hopes of making it a long-term franchise. But, as reported, that might mean renegotiating Katy's salary, which is reportedly a whopping $25 million a year. It could also mean reconfiguring the talent deals for Luke and Lionel, too.
If ABC offered Katy, Luke, and Lionel less money, will they still come on? Time will tell if that's what ends up happening. Regardless, a source told Variety that offers have been made to all three judges to return next year, though it "remains to be seen if they will sign on again." And chances are, it might be a while before negotiations are made.
As we all anxiously await to see what happens there (!), fans can be assured that host Ryan Seacrest will likely be back, as it's believed he's under a long-term deal with the network.
What is reassuring about the whole ordeal is that Luke, Katy, and Lionel appear to be having a blast judging talent on Idol and actually want to return for season 3. But who knows what will happen behind the scenes between now and then ... all we can do is hope for the best!
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