‘American Idol’: Will the Judges Return for Season 6?

The American Idol judges table has been the same ever since ABC revived the show in 2018, and it should stay that way for Season 21. Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan are all expected to return for the show’s sixth season on ABC. Host Ryan Seacrest, who also emceed the first 15 seasons on Fox, will be back as well.

Although ABC did not definitively announce their returns, ABC Entertainment President Craig Erwich told Deadline Tuesday he is confident the music superstars will return. “We expect the host to come back. I thought the chemistry that solidified among them this season was amazing and we’re looking forward to having that same chemistry next year,” he said.

American Idol was seen as an aging dinosaur by the time Fox canceled the show in 2016, but the ongoing Season 20 has been a big hit for ABC. It was the network’s most-watched show this season in total viewers and climbed 15% over last season among viewers 18-49 after 35 days of multiplatform viewing. Seacrest and the judges usually sign their contracts for the upcoming season over the summer.

The Season 20 finale will air on Sunday, May 22 at 8 p.m. ET. Perry, Richie, and Bryan are all set to perform, alongside guests Ben Platt; Flo Rida; Melissa Etheridge; Tai Verdes; Deana Carter; Sara Bareilles; Thomas Rhett; Carrie Underwood; and Earth, Wind & Fire. Former Idol contestants James Arthur and Gabby Barrett will perform as well. Season 20 finalists HunterGirl, Leah Marlene, and Noah Thompson will perform one last time. One of the final rounds will feature Bruce Springsteen songs.

The May 15 episode was a shocker for Idol fans, as Fritz Hager and Nicola Bozzo were eliminated in the semi-finals.Underwood returned as a mentor for Thompson, whose life has many similarities with her own. She could relate to the Kentucky native’s own journey from a small rural town to a national spotlight on Idol. Underwood won Idol Season 4 and is easily the most successful winner, alongside Kelly Clarkson.

“I feel like this show was created for people like me and for people like Noah, who didn’t know how to dream that big but knew that they wanted to do something. So, it’s a beautiful thing,” Underwood said on the show, notes the Courier-Journal. “I look back and think that’s the decision that changed my entire life. I have no idea where I would be, and to see contestants get every opportunity they have ever wanted is just magical.”

Thompson performed Underwood’s “So Small,” which he dedicated to his girlfriend and their baby boy. Richie later told him that he has “the ability to tell stories” through song. “But more importantly, I want you to understand something,” Richie said. “There’s a point in your life, and it happens to all of us, we sit there and we go, ‘Wow. Is this really happening to me?’ Noah, this is really happening to you.” Idol Season 20 is available to stream on Hulu.