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By Scott T. Sterling
Hello. Is it Lionel Richie that you’re looking for?
We hope so, as Richie has confirmed that he’s the third and final judge to round out the panel of the new version of American Idol alongside Luke Bryan and Katy Perry.
Related: Luke Bryan to Join ‘American Idol’ Reboot
The announcement follows rumors that Richie had been dropped from consideration for the slot.
“Luke and Lionel are the perfect additions to round out our panel of judges for American Idol on ABC,” said Channing Dungey, president, ABC Entertainment. “In their respective genres of music, both Luke and Lionel possess insurmountable popularity and award-winning talent that are undeniable, and we are lucky that they will help in paving the way for hopefuls pursuing their dreams on our stage.”
ABC has yet to announce a premiere date for the American Idol reboot but is rumored to be looking at a debut in March, after the network’s telecast of the Academy Awards.
HELLO @AmericanIdol! Excited to announce that I will be on the judges panel w/ @katyperry @LukeBryanOnline & host… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…
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Lionel Richie (@LionelRichie) September 29, 2017