Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan at odds with 'American Idol' host Ryan Seacrest after Katy Perry's departure
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Katy Perry leaving the ‘American Idol’ has reportedly left the remaining two judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan fearing for their coveted positions.
Following Perry's announcement of her departure from the show, the country star and the R&B legend reportedly contemplated that they might be the next to leave.
As per an insider who recently shared with National Enquirer per RadarOnline, Richie and Bryan are accusing the host Ryan Seacrest of sidling up with the producers.
According to the insider, the host is in talks with the top executives of the music reality show to revamp the current panel of judges and introduce new faces.
This development has consequently left the judges apprehensive about their positions.
Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan are reportedly angry at Ryan Seacrest
The insider revealed that the two remaining judges are purportedly upset with Seacrest and expressed, "They're angry at Ryan and bracing for him to throw them under the bus because he's already started blabbing about how they may need to come up with a fresh new lineup with Katy gone.”
Referring to the hefty amount of money both Richie and Bryan have raked in from their stints as judges, the tipster added, "Katy's departure has them worried this could be the end for them as well.”
They explained, "The show's made them richer than ever. But bosses clearly want to liven things up — and maybe they won't stop with replacing only Katy.”
Reportedly, each of them amassed nearly $100 million from their roles as judges on 'American Idol.'
The informant continued to air the two judges’ grievances, and said, "Luke and Lionel feel they deserve a lot more respect and they're not getting love from Ryan, who's cozying up to bosses and making himself look good!"
Earlier, the outlet had indicated that emerging country artist Jelly Roll might be considered for a role as a mentor on the show.
Lionel Richie reacted to Katy Perry's exit from 'American Idol'
Following Katy Perry's announcement that she would be stepping down after the 22nd season, Lionel Richie, her fellow judge, expressed surprise but extended his well wishes for her future endeavors.
The 'Hello' singer visited 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' in mid-February where he addressed Perry's exit from the show and said, “I’m not mad," before saying, "It just made me run off the road when I first heard about it," per Entertainment Weekly.
Commenting how he was caught off guard, he said, “My phone blew up.” When Kimmel asked him whether he knew about the decision before Perry spilled the beans, Richie said, “No, we didn’t know about it, but it makes sense."
He explained, “In other words: The reason I love coming on the show with you and the reason I’m doing American Idol is because I have 400 years of stories and a life in the music business. I have things that I’ve done.”
However, he backed the 'Roar' singer's decision and said, "And so when Katy says, ‘I want to go and create some stories,’ remember, she’s young. But the point is that you have to take some time and actually be an artist.”
As Kimmel asked him about who was going to be the next judge, he said, “You know, they are keeping tight-lipped because I don’t even know, but I’m telling you… It’s gonna be really interesting.”
He added, “Only because, I’m telling you something, this is a great show. And what I love most of all is that we’re artists, so we know what we’re talking about, and these kids are scared to death, so I love sitting there as the wise poo-bahs, the three of us, and we’re sitting there and we’re all kind of giving information that we know is real.”
"So 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,” concluded the legend.
