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Luke Bryan shares what really goes on behind 'American Idol' auditions — but not all fans are buying it

Luke Bryan opened up about his American Idol judging experience, but fans aren't impressed: 'Reality TV is dead...'

Luke Bryan has gained widespread recognition as a judge on the popular reality TV show 'American Idol' since his debut in season 16. He recently appeared on 'The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,' where he promoted his new album, 'Mind of a Country Boy,' however, things got interesting When host Fallon remarked, "And you've been doing great on 'American Idol.' You are one of my favorites; you are a fan favorite," before asking Bryan's take, "Is it fun for you, or is it grueling?" Giving a taste of what it's like to audition so many contestants, Bryan said, "It’s a lot of work. You have to listen to a lot.”

While admitting to enjoying his work, he also acknowledged that it’s harder than it looks. As he put it, “Well, it’s still fun. I mean, the audition process is like 13-hour days. We wake up and we get there, and what people don’t realize is we do 35 auditions a day typically. And, man, you can’t rush through them.” The country star continued, “Sometimes they have talent, and you’ve got to work with them.” Realizing the phrasing got a laugh from the audience, Bryan explained, “And then they give you one little glimmer of, like, ‘Oh my gosh!’ And so you spend time with them.”

Bryan, at the time, also spoke of co-judge Carrie Underwood, the former winner of season 4, who was debuting as a judge in season 23. "You know, like yesterday, we had a kid, like, 'Oh, I will work so hard.'" Bryan said in a pleading tone. Bryan continued, "And Carrie was like, 'I didn't realize they would do this." Fallon jumped in and said, "And you and Lionel are used to all the groveling." To which Bryan promptly replied, "I'm like, 'You gotta go.'"

The interview wrapped up in all fun and smiles; however, a few fans had a different take. On a Reddit thread titled, 'Luke Bryan's recent interview of Fallon turned me off,' pointing out what Bryan said about not rushing the contestants, a viewer wrote, "Well, why do you interrogate the contestants so much at the auditions and dig into their trauma then?" Noting that the show, for its emphasis on sob stories, a netizen said, "Literally every reality show knows that their main leverage over their base is to manipulate their emotions using pathological appeal. It’s addictive. Especially as reality TV is almost dead, it’s the one thing producers have left. I almost auditioned for a show until one of the first things they asked me on the form was, “What is something in your life you are currently struggling with?”

However, a few viewers also sided with Bryan; one wrote in his defense, "You have to understand that Luke Bryan is just another player in their game. The producers are in charge of everything; the celebrities are just playing their part." Noting that Bryan is least interested in the contestants' stories, another user added, "Luke Bryan probably doesn’t like the way the show encourages contestants to tell their sob stories. Most viewers I know (including me) don’t like it at all! It won’t make a difference to Luke when judging the auditions or performances, which is the way it should be. Go, Luke!" With the mixed response, it's hard to say whether fans are still rooting for Bryan as a judge for next season or his time on the hot seat has come to an end.