Bobby Bones Is 'Just Happy to Be There' for Latest Season of 'American Idol'

Bobby Bones is now on his fourth season serving as the in-house mentor on American Idol. This season will arguably look slightly different from the ones before it because Bones and judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie have to stay socially distanced from the contestants. Despite the precautions, Bones is still eager to offer advice and support to a new crop of hopefuls.

"I'm just happy to be there mentoring them in that room," he told PEOPLE. "And the families are in there now, which is a whole new added element that we haven't had before. And honestly, it's probably something we wouldn't have thought of if it wasn't for other kinds of restrictions. So, in a way, us having to figure out new paths to take has actually created better paths for us to travel on."

Due to the pandemic, many of Idol's current contestants first auditioned online; a process Bones shared allowed those who might not otherwise have had the opportunity to get in front of the judges. "That allowed people, who either couldn't afford to drive to another city or maybe didn't have the time or they couldn't get off work, to audition from their home," he said. "And, for one, that makes for so many more talented performers. And for two, the stories are frickin' wonderful."

In addition to its open call, American Idol also scouts contestants, whether that be in a live setting during previous years or on TikTok. "What Idol does is they pivot from year to year," Bones explained. "And they don't hide from the fact that they do an open call. Anybody can show up, but also, if they see somebody on TikTok that is really good, they'll be like, 'Hey, do you want to come try this?'"

Contestants' stories have become the cornerstone of the show, and Bones noted that "the great thing about American Idol is that it's always all about the contestants." "It's not about the judges," he said. "Even though our judges are super famous and have been massive stars, it's all about the contestant. And that's what they say before they go out there to judge and that's what I say before I start mentoring these kids."

"Listen, there are 10,000 singing competitions," the radio host added. "American Idol will always be King Ding-a-ling in those because we were the first. But the thing about American Idol, it's always about the contestant. And it's always about how relatable and how strong their stories are. And this year, these stories are as strong as ever."