As folks settle into new episodes of the ABC series airing every Sunday, people are accustomed to seeing Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie mentor the contestants as they move forward in the compeтιтion. Since the trio have worked so well together for the last seven seasons, it came as quite a surprise when Katy revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! her plans to exit American Idol at the end of the 2024 season, reportedly to work on new music. The announcement also came as news to her fellow judges, who learned of the singer’s decision at the same time as viewers.

When Lionel made his own appearance on the late night talk show, host Jimmy Kimmel asked whether he knew who Katy’s replacement would be. While Lionel didn’t drop any hints, what he did share still left viewers intrigued. “You know, they are keeping тιԍнт-lipped because I don’t even know, but I’m telling you … It’s gonna be really interesting,” he said.

“Whoever’s coming on the show has got to be, well, to come past Katy, you’ve gotta be humorous forever, and, on top of that, knowledgeable,” Lionel added.

Naturally, this leaves us to wonder who might replace Katy as the next judge on American Idol. While no names are official, some hopefuls are already putting in their bid for the job.

Who will replace Katy Perry as an American Idol judge?

Although higher ups at American Idol and ABC are staying quiet about who may replace Katy as the next judge, there are are a few big names who are reportedly being considered for the job.

According to a February report on DailyMail.com, one possible name for who could be the next judge is none other than global superstar Taylor Swift. While it’s highly unlikely she’d accept the gig, a source allegedly told the outlet she may be given an offer to star on the show.

“She will be offered the job,” the source shared. “That is a long sH๏τ. They are just thinking about what would be the best-case scenario, namely to get the biggest star in the world. But they aren’t holding their breath on getting Taylor.”

What’s more, the singer’s The Eras tour is wrapping up in late 2024, giving Taylor some free time to travel the country and look for the next great talent … should she decide to do so.

Another musician who is reportedly being looked at to take Katy’s spot is a face old-school fans already love. According to Forbes, Jennifer Lopez could be in the running to be the next judge. As for why her name is being considered? Well, she already has some familiarity with how American Idol works.

Back when the original iteration of American Idol aired on Fox, J.Lo made her debut as a judge in season 10 alongside then-fellow co-stars Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler. She returned to the series for season 11 before taking a break for season 12. She then came back for seasons 13, 14 and 15 before the series got canceled in 2016. Now that American Idol is back, it could be a chance for fans to see a judge they already loved once before back on TV.

While fans wait to find out who will sit alongside Luke and Lionel next season, an American Idol alum says she wants to be considered. Shortly after Katy announced her departure, season 6 winner Jordin Sparks expressed her hopes to help other singers’ dreams come true on the compeтιтion show.

“Oh hiiii @AmericanIdol—I hear a seat opened up at the judges table!” she wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) February 16. “I’m putting my name in the hat! 🙋🏻‍♀️.”

Who do Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan think should replace Katy Perry as an American Idol judge?

When Lionel spoke to Entertainment Tonight in April about who he thought would be the perfect judge to sit alongside him and Luke next season, he looked no further than the original winner of American Idol, Kelly Clarkson. As he explained to the outlet, she’s already helped aspiring singers as a coach on The Voice, and she’s currently one of the most well-known fasces with her hit daytime talk series The Kelly Clarkson Show.

“I didn’t want to bring that up,” he suggested. “Not only did I think about it, I slipped important notes. You know what I’m saying, Kelly, we’ve been together a long time … if you don’t have anything else to do, I’d like to drop that out there. Big fan!”

Luke had his own idea of who could replace Katy, and the person he had in mind also is someone in the pop music genre. As he told Entertainment Tonight in his own interview, one such contender is all about that bᴀss.

“I think Megan [Trainor]’s always been real fun. You know, that’s kinda been her brand, to have fun,” he disclosed. “[She’s] real witty, so certainly.”

Needless to say, we’ll keep you updated as more info comes to light!