Get to know ‘American Idol’ judges before Season 22 premiere

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A new season of “American Idol” is about to begin on ABC.

Judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan will return for Season 22, along with longtime host Ryan Seacrest.

Days before this weekend’s season premiere, Perry made headlines by telling Jimmy Kimmel this season could be her last, saying, “I think this probably will be my last show, my last season for ‘Idol.'”

“I mean, I love ‘Idol’ so much,” Perry continued. “It’s connected me with the heart of America, but I feel like I need to go out and feel that pulse to my own beat, you what I’m saying, Jimmy?”

Perry joined the show back in 2018. ABC has not confirmed the news of her exit.

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News 2’s Allie Lynch and Blake Eason had the chance to sit down with the cast of the show for an exclusive interview while filming in Nashville back in November, but Perry made no mention of her forthcoming exit by appreciating the power of the show.

“Being able to change lives with one word, a yes or no, it’s fantastic,” said Perry. “The course of my life has forever been changed and to be able to give that to hopefuls that we see are ready for this, it’s like being able to, you know, win the lottery.”

For Bryan, a Nashville resident, he said it’s the kids who keep the show exciting year after year.

“They bring the energy, they bring the vibe of the show,” Bryan said. “When you get a kid that comes in and truly captivates people, the show is off and running”

Bryan wasn’t ready to say if the winner could be from Music City, but he didn’t rule it out either.

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“At any moment, somebody in Nashville really could turn this thing upside down because so much talent [is] here, but the main thing is, even though we try to predict it early in the audition process, these kids grow and things change and they start captivating America and it’s really hard to predict,” Bryan explained.

For Grammy-winning artist Richie, he reflected back on the early days of his career when thinking about how important “American Idol” is to singers and songwriters.

“We’re sitting there looking at ourselves,” said Richie. “We did that same audition, maybe not ‘American Idol,’ but that was a major, major time in our lives.”

Richie said it’s their job to calm the contestants to the best of their ability.

Season 22 of “American Idol” will travel to all of the cast members’ hometowns for a special audition series.

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For Bryan, he said this reminded him of the support his hometown of Leesburg, Georgia, has always shown him.

“I think all these kids have a hometown story, and so when I can go back to Leesburg and I can just look around and still see a town that was so supportive of me all along the way, I mean, my hometown has really been behind me, praying for me, looking after, and so going home, it always feels great,” Bryan told News 2.

Season 22 of the singing competition show will premiere on News 2 on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.