‘American Idol’ Executives Don’t Want to Pay as Much for Katy Perry’s Replacement, Source Says

Who are 'American Idol' executives considering as Katy Perry's replacement? Here's what a source said about them wanting to pay the newcomer less.

Katy Perry has officially left American Idol, and fans are anxious about who might replace her. Several sources claimed ABC executives had big names to possibly replace Perry. And it’s still uncertain if Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie will stick with the show as judges. Here’s what a source said about ABC wanting a big-name replacement without the big-name pay.

‘American Idol’ executives allegedly don’t want to pay Katy Perry’s replacement as much money

American Idol fans will miss Katy Perry. She judged alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie from 2018 to 2024. Sadly, she announced that American Idol Season 22 would be her last season, as she hoped to pursue other music endeavors.

So, who will replace Perry? Luke Bryan and Ryan Seacrest think Meghan Trainor would make a great fit. Other names include Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, and Shania Twain.

A source told Life & Style executives are looking at Miley Cyrus as a possible replacement. “Miley really does love the competition space,” the insider said. “She has a lot more fun judging and mentoring than she has in her various forays into acting as an adult. And she also knows her fans actually show up to watch her on these shows.”

Another source told The Sun that executives wanted Cyrus. “Names like Jennifer Lopez and Shania Twain … are in the frame because they have worked on the show before and are ‘safe’ faces, but there is a push for Miley,” they alleged.

However, ABC executives might not want to pay Cyrus the same price they paid for Perry. The network paid Perry $25 million per season.

“Nobody expects Miley to do this cheaply, but nobody at the network wants to pay Katy prices for Katy’s replacement,” the source said. “The show absolutely has to get a little bit cheaper no matter who joins the cast because the ratings are slowly declining. That’s just the fact of the matter.”

Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie are allegedly stressed about who could replace Katy Perry

With Katy Perry’s American Idol replacement still up in the air, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie allegedly feel stressed about who ABC will choose.

“This has been a very stressful time for Luke and Lionel because they’ve been left in the dark about so much — there was even talk producers were going to start fresh with a whole new lineup and give them the boot,” a source told Life & Style in May 2024. “That hasn’t happened, so now the next worry is who will join the show.”

The source added that Bryan is “irritated” that Richie is being “pushy” about who he wants to join. Richie allegedly would love to have Diana Ross, Kenny Chesney, or Tim McGraw participate as a judge.

Luke Bryan says he doesn’t know if he or Lionel Richie will return to ‘American Idol’

Will fans see Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie return to American Idol? While viewers expect only to see Katy Perry leave, there’s allegedly talk amongst executives that they want to replace the entire judging cast.

Bryan spoke to Billboard in July 2024 about the possibility of him not returning.

“It’s been interesting,” Bryan said. “It’s been something Disney been really tightlipped about with me and Lionel and Ryan. 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.”

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