The American Idol judges are here to stay.
ABC announced July 25 that Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie will all be returning for the singing competition’s upcoming 22nd season. Longtime host Ryan Seacrest will also be back.
Auditions kick off Aug. 2 with the return of Idol Across America, the live virtual nationwide search for the next singing superstar, with audition dates across all 50 states already announced.
Perry’s return comes following a rollercoaster season 21 in which she faced criticism from fans on multiple occasions.
The Grammy winner first came under fire when she was accused of mom shaming contestant and mother of three Sara Beth Liebe after saying the aspiring singer had “been laying on the table too much” during her audition. Perry was also booed after she told competitor Nutsa Buzaladze to wear less glitter during the show’s Hawaii week performances.
Bryan came to her defense in June, as did contestant Oliver Steele.