The identities of the judges who will stand in for Katy Perry and Lionel Richie as they perform their responsibilities as coordinators in the United Kingdom have been disclosed by American Idol.
ABC made the announcement on Monday that Alanis Morissette and Ed Sheeran will join Luke Bryan in serving as guest judges on Sunday, May 7, while Katy Perry and Lionel Richie are occupied with their responsibilities.
Morissette will be putting in twice the effort as she will not only be playing her songs live on stage but also serving as a coach to the remaining Idol hopefuls who will be singing her tunes. Duets of some of Sheeran’s most popular songs will also be performed by the candidates.
Both are scheduled to give performances as well. Sheeran, who will be celebrating the arrival of his newest album, – (pronounced Subtract), will play his new song as Morissette takes the stage to perform one of her favorites. Morissette will perform one of her classics while Sheeran performs his new single. (On April 21st, he made “Boat” available to the public.)
Perry and Richie are now in the United Kingdom to participate in the celebrations surrounding the coronation of King Charles. They have been asked to play at the coronation concert that will take place on Sunday. They will not be appearing on the episode of Idol that airs on Sunday, but they will be broadcasting live from Windsor Castle.
During an interview with ET’s Cassie DiLaura, Luke Bryan provided a clue that the replacements for Katy Perry and Lionel Richie are “big time.” Bryan was scheduled to perform at the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California, on Saturday.
“This is a major deal. It’s a huge time,” Bryan remarked. “The individuals who are filling in for us are contenders, and we have utilized their songs a great number of times. A great deal more than I have!
The next episode of American Idol will be shown live throughout the country on ABC on Sunday, May 7 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.