‘American Idol’ Struggles For Third Judge As Luke Bryan Inches Away For Second Seat

ABC's reboot of the famous "American Idol" is nearing its audition phase, yet is still in a middle of a serious predicament. While the reality singing competition already has two judges in the bag, getting the third one places the network and the show's producers in a tight situation.

Variety has recently confirmed that while it has not been formalized, singer Luke Bryan will be joining Katy Perry in the judges' seat of "American Idol." Only the country singer's signature on the dotted line is missing, which many are expecting to happen in a few days' time.

The third judge, however, is turning out to be a power struggle between the show's producers Fremantle and ABC, the network carrying the reboot of "American Idol." According to TMZ, Fremantle wants American singer Charlie Puth to take the seat. ABC, on the other hand, prefers to have racial diversity.

Lionel Richie's name has been floating around for some time, though no finalized talks about the position have surfaced. Troy Carter, a renowned manager that has handled big names like John Legend and Lady Gaga, is also another choice for the coveted third judge seat for "American Idol." Carter is appearing to be a better option, as the manager will cost less than the "Hello" singer, who is commanding a hefty sum to take the position.

Based on the British television series "Pop Idol," "American Idol" took the fans all over by storm when it first aired on Fox in 2002. Following the premise of finding talented singers across the nation and having them compete in weekly contests, with the winner determined by audience votes. Votes are made through different outlets, either by phone, SMS or internet. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson were the show's original judges, with Ryan Seacrest sharing hosting duties with Brian Dunkleman during the first season and continuing as the solo host until the show's end.

"American Idol" ran for 15 seasons, with its last season airing in 2016. Some of the talents that came out of "American Idol" include Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Adam Lambert, to name a few.

ABC's reboot of "American Idol" will air in March 2018.

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American Idol, ABC, Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, Taylor Swift