Luke Bryan wishes he was able to weigh in on the Top 12 American Idol contestants with fellow judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie in what was the first live show of the season Monday, but the country star made sure he still got his point across even while in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19. Perry and Richie opened up to Entertainment Tonight following Monday’s live show about the last-minute pivot and what it was like asking original Idol judge Paula Abdul to fill in for Bryan as he recovers.
Bryan announced Monday that he tested positive for the coronavirus but was “doing well” and looking forward to being back on the show soon. “He was texting us. He was blowing up our phones during the whole episode. Some of it we can’t even say…” Perry joked of Bryan’s involvement in Monday’s judging. “We can’t say half of it!” Richie chimed in. Perry added, “But he agreed with everything. He was just giving critiques at home. I guess, alone in his room.”
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Despite the “Country Girl” singer’s diagnosis, it appears he is one of the lucky people to be experiencing mild symptoms. “He’s totally good,” Perry told fans who were worried for his health after hearing about his COVID diagnosis. “I think he’s gonna be alright. I think we’ll be seeing him next week.” Having Abdul fill in for him as a judge was a stroke of genius, the two judges agreed. Abdul was one of the original trio sitting on the dais, starring on the show from its first-ever season until its eighth in 2009. “Paula did a great job! She did a great job,” Richie said excitedly about having her back on the show.
Abdul added to the outlet that being back “felt nostalgic,” and that she was happy to actually be able to fit the guest judging into her vaccination schedule. “I didn’t have time to think about it because it was literally, I got the call on Friday night and I was worried because I was getting my second vaccine and I thought, ‘Oh my God, what if I have a reaction?’” she recalled. “I was able to move my appointment to Saturday night, so yesterday I was feeling kind of crappy, but today I woke up fine. And it was fun!”
She also noted that this second iteration of American Idol on ABC had a totally different, much kinder, feel than the first. “I love being on this panel tonight. It’s way different than the panel that I was on, that’s for sure,” she shared, joking that she “didn’t have to go to therapy” to get ready to join Perry and Richie.
