‘American Idol’ Judge Unsure of Return for Season 24

Ahead of American Idol’s 24^th season in 2026, one judge is unsure about their future on the show.

Luke Bryan, who has been a judge on the series since it was revived in 2018, admitted he doesn’t know if he’ll be back for another round.

“Idol is kind of a year-by-year, ‘Do we do it or not?’” he explained to Taste of Country. Joining him on the judges’ panel are Lionel Richie and Idol winner Carrie Underwood, who replaced Katy Perry last season.

“Last year was really, really incredible with Carrie and Lionel and Ryan,” Bryan expressed. “And the main thing is just, have fun with American Idol and have fun with the kids [contestants]. We’ll see what happens.”

As of now, nothing has been confirmed, and American Idol Season 24 isn’t supposed to premiere until midseason 2026. However, auditions are likely to start soon, meaning it shouldn’t be long until it’s revealed who is returning and who might be leaving. It sounds like Bryan wants to come back, but that might all depend on his schedule and how things are looking for him.

That being said, he did get back on the road last month after having to cancel multiple shows in June because he was sick. So he has been focused on touring, but American Idol is still a priority, it seems like. It should only be a matter of time before the Season 24 judges are announced, and it’s anyone’s guess as to who will be returning.

Meanwhile, in June, after rumors were floating around that Carrie Underwood was already planning on quitting, it was reported that those rumors are false, even despite it being hard for her to be away from her family. While she was warned she was “walking into a viper’s nest” by taking the job, Underwood handled herself pretty well on the other side of the table and definitely brought a fresh perspective for the aspiring singers.

It’s unknown when it will be announced who will be on Season 24 of American Idol, but the wait will continue. Of course, it’s not unusual for judges to come and go, as Idol has seen a variety of judges over the course of its run. So it should be interesting to see what the final decision will be.