American Idol judge Lionel Richie might have to shake off rejection after revealing his replacement pick for exiting judge Katy Perry. As Perry gears up to bid adieu to American Idol, her fellow judges dish on the Katy-sized hole she'll leave behind and play the guessing game on who'll fill those superstar shoes.
"Katy's great," Lionel Richie recently told Fox News. "The first season, she made me turn into my mom and dad and grandma so fast, 'Like what are you doing? You can't do that in public.' Everything that was adult came out of me. I realized this lady was out of control. Then Luke would come in and say some stuff. Then I started thinking about my reputation. But then we got to the point where it settled in, I became Papa Bear and I have the children."
"I'm going to miss her. Finding someone who has that sense of humor, it's going to be tough," he admitted.
While Perry is irreplaceable, Richie's dream substitute? None other than Taylor Swift. "Taylor Swift, if you're listening out there, this is a wonderful place to stay," Lionel offered. "Luke and I would love to have you join us."
We here at Wide Open Country admire Lionel Richie for shooting his shot at the billionaire pop queen. However, Swift being a judge on Idol seems as likely as Beyoncé taking over for Alfonso Ribeiro on America's Funniest Home Videos.
Lionel Richie's Fantasy Pick Aside, Katy Perry Has Her Own Choice for Her 'American Idol' Replacement
Meanwhile, Katy Perry recently shared her own top pick for who should join Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan as judges.
"I gotta say Jelly Roll was crazy when he came on the show," Perry recently told E! News. "I was convinced at anything he said. He could run for president, he could be my pastor, I might go back to church for him. He could sell me anything."
"So I love him," she continued. "And to have any of these guys plus Jelly on the show would be amazing. I love you, Jelly!"
Perry threw Jelly's name in about a week after he guest mentored on the April 8 Idol episode. During his appearance, he offered mentorship and coaching to the top 24 contestants in Hawaii. He also delivered a rendition of his hit, "Halfway to Hell," capturing the sentiment the rapper and singer might experience if he found himself judging American Idol.
