American Idol: Katy Perry and Lionel Richie Temporarily Replaced as Judges

The American Idol judging panel will look very different for one night only.

ABC has announced that Katy Perry and Lionel Richie will not be present on the reality series’s Sunday, May 7 episode, and there’s a very good reason.

Perry and Richie are both scheduled to attend the coronation of King Charles III.

The episode will still feature the pair in some capacity as they are set to appear live from Windsor Castle.

You probably have questions about who will join Luke Bryan to judge in their absence.

Thankfully, that news has already been revealed.

Ed Sheeran and Alanis Morissette will appear in the coveted judges’ seats.

Morissette was already set to appear as a mentor in the episode.

The finalists are set to sing songs from both Sheeran and Moresette’s song catalogs, which should make for a fun night.

Bryan addressed the decision to switch things up in Perry and Richie’s absences.

“It’s big time. It’s big time,” the country star told Entertainment Tonight.

“The people that we have filling in, contestants have used their songs many, many times. A lot more than mine!”

Perry has had a rough season on the show with many of her decisions being widely criticized by viewers.

25-year-old contestant Sarah Beth Liebe opened up about being a mother of three on the show earlier this season during her audition.

Perry stood up and walked behind the judge’s table.

“If Katy lays on the table, I think I’m going to pass out,” Liebe said, prompting the following response from Perry:

“Honey, you’ve been laying on the table too much.”

Liebe later departed the competition and spoke out against the comment.

“I think that women supporting and uplifting other women is so cool, and I think that mom-shaming is super lame and I think that it’s hard enough to be a mom and it’s hard enough to be a woman,” she said in a now-deleted clip.

Edit Delete