Lionel Richie Expected To Return to 'Idol'

Lionel Richie will return as a judge on American Idol Season 25 despite three heart-related hospitalizations since June, fellow judge Luke Bryan confirmed Thursday during a concert in Nashville. 

Richie, 77, will again sit alongside Bryan and Carrie Underwood, with Ryan Seacrest returning as host. 

The panel will be together for a third straight season. ABC renewed the series in July; Season 25 is expected to premiere in 2027. Auditions are already underway through the virtual Idol Across America search. 

The confirmation comes days after Richie was hospitalized for the third time since June and underwent a procedure for atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat. A representative said the procedure “went perfectly,” that Richie is “doing great,” and that he will take time off before returning to the stage. AFib is common and not immediately life-threatening, but it can cause fatigue, dizziness, palpitations and shortness of breath and can lead to complications. 

The latest episode forced cancellation of three dates on his Sing a Song All Night Long tour with Earth, Wind & Fire, in San Francisco, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio. In late August he struggled through a St. Louis show, asked for a chair during “All Night Long,” left the stage and later spent days in the hospital, including time in intensive care. In June he cut short a St. Paul, Minnesota, concert after a dizzy spell while performing “Dancing on the Ceiling,” then postponed two more dates. He later told fans he was doing well. 

He is still expected to resume his Lionel Richie: King of Hearts residency at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas beginning Oct. 14. Richie has judged American Idol since ABC revived the show in 2018. A four-time Grammy winner and former Commodores frontman, he is known for “Hello,” “All Night Long,” “Three Times a Lady” and co-writing “We Are the World.”