News Luke Bryan Joins Katy Perry as American Idol Judge By Meghan Overdeep Meghan Overdeep Twitter Meghan Overdeep is a writer and editor based in Brooklyn who covers all things celebrity and pop culture. She worked as a News Blogger for InStyle for two years and is currently a Senior Staff Writer at Southern Living. InStyle's editorial guidelines Updated on September 25, 2017 @ 07:45AM Pin Share Tweet Email Luke Bryan is heading to American Idol! Variety reports that the 41-year-old country crooner will join Katy Perry at the judge's table for ABC's reboot of the hit series. Lionel Richie and Charlie Puth were also rumored to be in consideration for the role, though it's unlikely that either will take the third spot. So...any takers? Bryan has had numerous hits throughout his career, including "Country Girl (Shake it For Me)" and "Kick the Dust Up." He also released five albums since 2007, each of which topped Billboard's Country Album charts. After a prolonged three-month negotiation period, Ryan Seacrest, the longtime host of the original reality singing competition, is slated to make his triumphant return in the show's revival. This time around, showrunners are reportedly discussing ways to prevent skyrocketing talent salaries from causing the show to lose money. Though Perry's alleged giant $25 million contract is likely to have already eaten away at a majority of the budget, which could make it hard to secure a third megawatt celeb. American Idol is set to premiere in early March, and we can hardly wait!