American Idol will return for its 24th season in 2026, but Luke Bryan isn’t sure if he’ll be along for the ride.
The country music star recently spoke with Taste of Country Nights, where he opened up about the future of Idol and whether he and his fellow judge Carrie Underwood will be back next season. Underwood joined Bryan and Lionel Richie for Season 23, replacing Katy Perry.
“[She] really enjoyed it,” Bryan said of Underwood’s first season as a judge. “I know she had a great time in the role.” As for whether that means she will be back for another go-around next year, Bryan shared, “My prediction would be highly favorable.”
However, when it comes to his own future with the show, the “Buy Dirt” singer was more apprehensive. “Idol is kind of a year-by-year, ‘Do we do it or not?’” he stated.
Bryan and Richie joined the ABC singing competition series in 2018 and have completed eight seasons behind the table. They served alongside Perry for Seasons 16 to 22 before Underwood joined the panel earlier this year.
Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan; Disney/Eric McCandless
Despite his apprehension over returning, Bryan emphasized that he loves the show and had a great time on Season 23. “Last year was really, really incredible with Carrie and Lionel and Ryan [Seacrest],” he said. “And the main thing is just, have fun with American Idol and have fun with the kids [contestants].”
As for his future, he simply added, “We’ll see what happens.”
Bryan has spoken in the past about how he and Richie are on one-year contracts that are re-upped ahead of the new season. He admitted that Disney, ABC’s parent company, are often “tightlipped” about its decisions, so he often doesn’t know until late-on whether or not he’ll be back.
In July 2024, ahead of Season 23, he told Billboard, “We currently haven’t heard what the story is on who’s coming back, and if Lionel and I are coming back. I think Disney is just trying to figure out what they want to do and we’re just kind of sitting back and waiting until they decide.”
Would you like to see Bryan back for another season of Idol? Or should the show change up its judging panel? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.