Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie just dropped cryptic hints about ‘American Idol’ future
From Carrie Underwood debuting as a judge to Jamal Roberts taking home the victory, 'American Idol' Season 23 was anything but predictable. The season, which debuted in February 2025, concluded with the Meridian, Mississippi, native, Roberts, charming the fans with his stellar vocals. Undoubtedly, Season 23 successfully entertained fans week after week, and now the excitement is at an all-time high for the next season, with many wondering if judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood will return for the 2026 edition.
Following the 'American Idol' Season 27 finale, Underwood, Bryan, and Richie recently addressed their thoughts on returning for the next season in a chat with USA Today. Underwood said, "We'll see. I feel like there's a lot of, you know… contemplating. You never know where the Lord's going to take me, but I'm glad I'm here, man." Bryan added that talks about his return haven't begun yet, but he expressed his ongoing love for the show, saying, "We haven't started the talks with the show on my return... so we're going to get into that... you know... we'll hear what the direction is, but I love the show, love the brand, and love what we have."
Richie further added, "And you know, me and Ryan and Lionel have been here for eight years and really worked hard to kind of... I mean, when you hear we are up from last year—rating better than last year—you're growing. You never want to be on something that is going down, so the fact that something is really up is really special, and this year felt that way." Meanwhile, Richie talked about the talent from this past season, saying, "From the Top 20 on, we knew that there’s a star somewhere. As we got closer, we realized there’s a bunch of stars in there, and that’s what makes this year so wonderful. We got more than we ever bargained for."
Notably, after being crowned the winner of 'American Idol' Season 23, Roberts shared in a chat with People that his immediate plan was simple, and that was to rest. During the finale, a clip was shown of fellow contestant Breanna Nix predicting Roberts’ victory early on. Roberts recalled his initial disbelief as he revealed, "I was like, 'Girl, hush. Be quiet," he told reporters. "I feel amazing. She was like, 'You're anointed.' She said, 'It's a different anointing.' She said, 'You're going to win this'."
Judge Richie praised Roberts' versatility and potential as he said, "He can go country tomorrow. I mean, as far as I'm concerned, he's off to the races." Richie also reflected on the significance of the final two contestants, Roberts and runner-up John Foster, standing together as the country singer said, "And I think what I loved the most was what America needed to see was the two of them standing together. That's what I pray for America, because we're a melting pot. We're not just one particular tribe. And so to see them together was just the picture I was hoping for."
Bryan, who previously said he had a "gut feeling" about Roberts, admitted he "wanted him to win." He clarified that this didn't take away from runner-up Foster’s talent, as he said, "And when I say that, you never want to take away from what John Foster did. John Foster is incredible, and I think John will do... He'll do really well in music." But Bryan talked about Roberts' vocal ability as the deciding factor, saying, "When I look at Jamal's whole approach to singing, he's a really great singer. I think that's what American Idol is about, great singers winning, and he is a great one... when I listen to [him], he really moves me. I am really a fan of him."
