Luke Bryan Is Returning to 'American Idol'

The judges and host of American Idol Season 22 have been revealed. Country star Luke Bryan is among those returning.

This will be Bryan's seventh season on the show. Alongside Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, Bryan has judged every season of the reality TV show since it moved to ABC from Fox. That streak will continue as everyone — including host Ryan Seacrest — is back for next season.

Season 22 (Season 7 on ABC) of American Idol will return in spring 2024.
On Aug. 2 there will be a live virtual nationwide search for contestants.
Iam Tongi won Season 21 of American Idol.

The announcement of Bryan's return is not surprising as after Season 21 he spoke with something more than optimism about the prospect.

"My future with Idol [will continue] as long as the show is growing and popping, and we feel like we're doing beautiful work as a show," he told Taste of Country during CMA Fest week in June.

"As long as the vibe feels like we're moving onward and upward — and we're getting emotionally moved, we're telling the stories of kids and the American spirit, and it's a show that kids [and] parents can cry and laugh together and have fun [watching] — it's gonna be a tough show for me and Lionel and Katy to walk away from."

Half of the six winners of American Idol during Bryan's time on the show (Laine Hardy, Chayce Beckham and Noah Thompson) have gone on to pursue country music with Beckham enjoying the most radio success so far. His song "23" is approaching the Top 30 on Billboard's Country Airplay chart.

The most successful country singer from the show during the last six seasons was not a winner however. Gabby Barrett (Season 16) is the only one with a pair of No. 1 hits.

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PICTURES: See Inside Carrie Underwood's Beautiful Post-'American Idol' Home

Carrie Underwood invested her money wisely after winning American Idol in 2005. One of her first big purchases was a 3,099-square-foot home in the well-to-do Nashville suburb of Franklin, Tenn. Underwood paid $384,000 for a luxurious 3-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom stone and stucco home in a private gated community.

The house features a library, a vaulted ceiling and lovely amenities throughout, but while it's very nice, it's certainly not the kind of home you'd picture for a budding country superstar. Underwood wound up being a huge success right out of the gate with her debut album, Some Hearts, and she sold the home in Franklin for $372,500 in 2007, when she purchased the Brentwood mansion that she would later share with her husband, Mike Fisher.

Source: Luke Bryan Is Returning to ‘American Idol’

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