‘American Idol’ Contestants Prove the Tinder Effect Is Real

The premiere of the American Idol reboot is just days away, and it turns out that fans may be tuning in to a mix of a singing and dating competition.

According to production sources who spoke with TMZ, there is a lot more than just singing going on behind closed doors. While all of the contestants have been staying in an L.A. hotel together, there have apparently been a lot of hookups, and at least two contestants and possibly four are in actual relationships.

The inside sources said that during the initial run of the show there were never any obvious hookups, but they are concluding that the recent influx of love going around has to do with the batch of young contestants and how ingrained Tinder, and other dating apps, is in culture.

The reboot of the show will see judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie search for the next big star, something Bryan admits provides a bit of pressure.

“That makes us focus harder as a judging panel because, yeah, there are a few years…where you don’t really remember those contestants,” he previously told Rolling Stone. “We want it to be right back to where American Idol is known for, building those American idols. And it’s each of us sitting around going, ‘Is this person going to be what we want them to be?’”

Meanwhile, a roster of other famous names will on hand to take part in the show’s duet portion, which will see a major act perform with finalists from the show’s Top 24 contestants. Some of those artists include country artists Sugarland and Cam, along with Bebe Rexha, Luis Fonsi, and Toni Braxton.

Scotty McCreary, who took home the top spot during Season 10 in 2011, and radio personality Bobby Bones will serve as mentors to the top contestants.

American Idol premieres March 11 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.