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Luke Bryan is heading back to American Idol for the beloved competition show’s forthcoming season. The award-winning country star is returning to the celebrity judge panel alongside Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Original host Ryan Seacrest is also slated to return to Idol in its next season.
The next season of American Idol is the seventh on ABC and the 22nd season overall. It’s slated to return in spring of 2024, according to Idol, which also shared its list of nationwide audition destinations. Auditions will kick off on Wednesday, August 7 with the live virtual search, per information from Bryan’s record label.
What does the future hold for the “But I Got A Beer In My Hand” artist on the long-running talent competition show? He told reporters at CMA Fest in Nashville last month, per his label:
“My future with Idol, as long as the show is growing and popping and we feel like we’re doing beautiful work as a show, and we felt like this year was what we had all worked together to get to…and yeah, as long as the vibe feels like we’re onward and upward and we’re getting emotionally moved and we’re telling the story of kids and of the American spirit and it’s a show that kids can sit down and parents can cry and laugh together and have fun, it’s gonna be a tough show for me and Lionel and Katy to walk away from.”
Bryan recently kicked off his “Country On Tour,” with special guests Chayce Beckham, Tyler Braden, Ashley Cooke, Jackson Dean, Jon Langston, Conner Smith, Alana Springsteen, Hailey Whitters and DJ Rock. This fall, Bryan will also hold his 14th annual “Farm Tour,” with Kameron Marlowe, Chayce Beckham, the Peach Pickers — Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson and Rhett Akins — and DJ Rock.