Lionel Richie Reacts To Carrie Underwood Replacing Katy Perry On ‘American Idol’

Lionel Richie is practically dancing on the ceiling about his latest coworker. The American Idol judge praised the recent news that Carrie Underwood will be joining the Idol judges panel after Katy Perry‘s recent exit, noting that she would make a “great” judge.

“It makes a lot of sense,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “It’s not someone we have to get used to. And the fact that she has a great story, she came from American Idol.”

Richie, who has been a judge on the show since 2018, also noted that Underwood would be able to offer a unique perspective as a former contestant of the competition.

“What a great judge,” he said. “Now we don’t have to explain anymore, ‘We know how you feel.’ As artists, we know how you feel, but we’ve never been in that oval that says, American Idol. She’s been there, done that.”

Underwood, who launched her own career on Idol after winning Season 4 in 2005, will be joining Richie and Luke Bryan for Season 23 next spring. This marks the first time an Idol winner will serve as an official judge on the show.

The Grammy winning singer has big shoes to fill as she’ll be replacing Perry, who left the show earlier this year to focus on her music career.

Richie offered some advice to Underwood ahead of the new season now that she’ll be taking Perry’s place next to Bryan.

“She’s gotta sit next to Luke. All I can say to you is, ‘Hang on,'” he joked. He mentioned that he hoped she had a “great sense of humor.”

“It’s gonna be an amazing show,” he said. “Probably for the first five or six shows, to see her face and see how she deals with uncle Luke sitting next to her, saying anything on his mind. I’m gonna love it, I’m loving it.”

During a recent appearance on Good Morning America, Underwood said returning to the show “feels like home.”

“I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching the show,” she said of her time on the series. “I’m proud of everything that I was able to accomplish on the show and I’m so proud of everything that I’ve accomplished since.”

She also shared the one fear she had ahead of the new season.

“I have a problem,” she said, per Deadline. “I can’t lie. I feel like I’ll be very honest but hopefully I’ll also be very constructive and encouraging.”

American Idol will return with a new season in spring 2025. Auditions begin Aug. 12.