The reboot of American Idol premiered Sunday night on ABC, with judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie doing their part to find the next singing superstar.
As previously reported by TMZ, Perry is set to receive a whopping $25 million for her stint as a judge, a number former judge Keith Urban joked about on the Kyle and Jackie O Show.
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“I need a better agent… I have no idea mate,” Urban cracked when asked how the pair’s salaries compare, via the Daily Mail.
He added that he’s excited to see what the three new judges bring to the reboot.
“I’m anxious to see the new lineup with Luke, Katy and Lionel…,” Bryan said. “So it’s an interesting mix and I’m curious to see the show.”
Urban served as a judge during Idol‘s later seasons, alongside Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey in 2012 and Harry Connick Jr. and Jennifer Lopez from 2013 to 2016.
He also spoke about his time on The Voice‘s Australian version, noting that he prefers the format of that show.
“It’s more engaging with all the judges, the banter you get to have…I had a blast doing that,” Urban said.
The country singer reportedly earned $5 million per season during his time on Idol, a number significantly lower than Perry’s.
Perry, for her part, is proud of her salary.
“I’m really proud that, as a woman, I got paid. And you know why? I got paid like more than like pretty much any guy that’s been on that show,” the singer previously said on the radio show Cubby and Carolina In The Morning, via E! News. “And, by the way, I love men.”
The pop star added that she had wanted to join the show for several years.
“I really wanted to join this show at the right time,” she explained. “I always have. We’ve always been in negotations for several years—it’s never been right, but now when they kind of like brought it to a new home…it’s perfect.”
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