‘Dancing With the Stars’ Favorite Bobby Bones Joins ‘American Idol’ in Mentor Role

During Monday’s special Dancing With The Stars “Country Night” episode, Bobby Bones announced his new full-time role as in-house mentor for American Idol.

“I’m super excited. I can’t wait to work with them and hopefully make a brand new superstar on American Idol,” Bones said in a video ABC tweeted during the show. “So be sure to watch, and I will see you soon.”

Bones, who is currently competing on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars, appeared on ABC’s first American Idol season to help the Top 24 contestants prepare for their celebrity duets. This time, he will have a bigger role, joining the new season from the beginning to offer his industry expertise and will help the singers “reach the next level of their artistry and performances,” according to ABC.

At 38, Bones is the youngest member of the National Radio Hall of Fame. He hosts The Bobby Bones Show out of Nashville, and it has been broadcast nationally since 2013. The show’s success helped Bones earn three ACM Awards for National On-Air Personality and the 2017 Country Music Association Award for National Broadcast Personality of the Year.

Bones has also suggested he has political aspirations and considered running for governor of his home state Arkansas. He decided not to, but recently told Entertainment Tonight he is still toying with the idea.

“I’ll be the governor of Arkansas, for sure,” Bones said. “I thought about running in 2018, but maybe 2022. Probably 2026. I do believe that I will be the governor of my home state of Arkansas.”

Bones also said he might consider running for the presidency someday.

“I will run for governor. Hopefully I’ll be president. That’s the plan,” he said. “If you don’t set huge goals for yourself, no one else will, so I have the biggest goals.”

Before Bones can run for office, he needs to focus on finishing Dancing With The Stars on a strong note. On Monday night, Bones and pro dance partner Sharna Burgess earned a 24/30 for their dance to “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” with Chris Janson performing the song live. It was the second-lowest score of the night, but was a personal best for Bones.

As for American Idol, the show is returning for its 17th season this winter, and its second on ABC. The show was dormant for two seasons until the alphabet network revived it last season.

Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan are returning as judges and Ryan Seacrest will host once gain. Auditions were filmed between August and September, hitting 24 cities across the country, including Orlando, Seattle, Houston, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City, Little Rock and Kansas City.

ABC has not announced a premiere date for season 17, but last season debuted in March 2018. Maddie Poppe was the winner, with Caleb-Lee Hutchinson as the runner-up.

Photo Credit: ABC/Lou Rocco