American Idol's Luke Bryan Admits He Was Wrong About Lionel Richie

The judges on American Idol are, above all, renowned individuals whose fame extends well beyond the confines of the United States. Be it music executive Simon Cowell, singer and actress Jennifer Lopez, or country crooner Keith Urban, they are all significant figures in the music industry.

Equally prominent are the current judges, a line-up that has remained unchanged for five years: Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie. While Perry and Bryan are undoubtedly contemporary idols, they do not quite ascend to the pinnacle of Richie's brilliance. Indeed, as the latest episode of American Idol demonstrated, even they cannot quite rival his stature!

The episode, which aired on Sunday, 7 May, was fraught with tension for both contestants and viewers, who cast their votes for their favourite performers, leading to the elimination of the bottom three. Moreover, Canadian-American entertainer Alanis Morissette and British singer Ed Sheeran joined the panel as guest judges, while Katy Perry and Lionel Richie were in Britain for the coronation of King Charles III.

However, the most unexpected moment was the appearance of Richie and Perry, who chimed in from Windsor Castle to greet the contestants and the audience. Yet, who could have anticipated that none other than the King of the United Kingdom and Queen Consort Camilla would make cameo appearances?

Indeed, Richie had orchestrated this 'surprise' by inviting the royal couple.

'It just shows you the scope and the power of who Lionel Richie [is]. When you think about when Lionel wrote and performed "We Are the World," that put him in a situation where he wrote a song for the world,' Luke Bryan shared later.

Charles and Camilla's appearances were brief, limited to a jovial remark from the King about how long Perry and Richie would be occupying the room. Nonetheless, it served as a powerful testament to the influential connections the legendary 73-year-old singer has, including world leaders he can call upon to appear on the show at a moment's notice.

For a long time, Bryan doubted Richie's claims of knowing Charles, but this incident forced him to reassess his perceptions of his elder colleague.

'I always felt Lionel was maybe lying and fibbing a little bit about his relationship with all the royals but I gotta say he's telling the truth now,' Bryan added.

Who knows, perhaps Richie will surprise us with another equally powerful flex! For now, let's not forget that the next episode of American Idol is due to air on 14 May.

Source: People.