‘American Idol’ Judges Share the Best Things About Working Together

In a recent interview following American Idol’s Hollywood Week where the show would travel to Hawaii, the judges, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and longtime host Ryan Seacrest shared what they love most about working with one another.  

Billboard asked the judges, Underwood, Bryan, Richie, and host Seacrest to choose one among them and tell that person what they like the most about that person.   

Bryan went first and told Richie, “Well, I’ll start with Lionel. I have to do Lionel, because when you look at his career and the years – this is like telling a family member that you love them – but to watch Lionel, his spirit, to watch just how he is still in this business and wakes up with the same attitude that is so infectious and you know, when I have my days where I want to pout, I’m thinking, ‘Lionel Richie is having the best day of his life.’”  

He added that the nine years he spent with him, just watching him inspire in so many ways has been amazing.  

Underwood chose Seacrest and told him, “Nobody else is Ryan Seacrest. I don’t want to say you're underappreciated, because everybody appreciates you, but you are the piece to the puzzle of this show that if you weren’t here, it would not be the same.”  

She went on to praise Seacrest for how good he is at dealing with the contestants and their families and how the long-time host might not realize how good he is at hosting the show, unless he sees someone else attempt to do it.   

Seacrest returned the favor and told the “Before He Cheats” singer, “I see Carrie out in the wild in the world. She’s beloved. She’s kind. She’s super-talented. I feel a connection to her because I got to see her go through this process and watch her become the global superstar she is, but I love your sense of humor.”  

He added, “You are so funny with us. It’s in the show. It’s outside of the show. It's quick. It's sarcastic. It's dry, and I don’t know that everyone gets to see that side of you always, but it makes me laugh. And when we see it in the show, it’s great. When we see it in our lives, it’s great, and we appreciate you for all the things people know you for, but for us, thank you for the levity and the fun that you bring.”  

Richie ended up doing all three of his colleagues since “he’s the oldest person in the whole group.” The “Endless Love” singer said, “I’ve known Ryan forever, and Luke is my brand new old friend from college. I know we went to school together, and Carrie comes in with that spirit. I knew we were going to get along when she said, ‘I’ve done some canning.’ She never spoke one time about singing. She said, ‘I’ve brought some stuff in, and I’ve canned it for you.’ And then the next thing, I’m sitting next to her while we’re doing the show. She knows every lyric to every frickin’ song that ever came out.”   

He also agreed with what Seacrest said about Underwood’s sense of humor.  

Richie acknowledged the fact that all four of them are well-known and experts in their respective fields, still, at the end of the day, he considers Underwood, Bryan, and Seacrest as “great human beings to be around on a daily basis.”  

He added, “I love these folks.”