The judges table at American Idol will look a little different during an upcoming episode on Sunday, May 7. Two of the show's regular judges — Katy Perry and Lionel Richie — will be absent from the episode as they are traveling to England to perform at an event celebrating the coronation of King Charles III. This international gig leaves judge Luke Bryan alone, but Alanis Morissette and Ed Sheeran will be stepping up to fill their places.
The show announced the change on Sunday's episode (April 30), and the contestants were more than a little excited to see the two famous names joining them on Idol. In addition to serving as a judge, Morissette will also take the role of a mentor for the hopeful singers. Sheeran and Morissette will also perform, and the Top 8 contestants will perform hits from both artists.
Morissette and Sheeran both shared video messages upon the announcement of their new judging gig. Morissette said, "I am so excited to be mentoring you, hearing your interpretations of my songs. I can't wait to hear them."
Sheeran addressed the contestants, saying, "Hello to all the Idols, I can't wait to guide you through this stage of the competition and career. This is the first time that I've done this on American Idol. I can't wait to take the iconic American Idol stage, and mostly I'm just excited to meeting all of you and talking through life and music."
Richie and Perry won't be completely absent from the show, however. The two will check in on Bryan, Sheeran, Morissette and contestants from Windsor Castle. The episode will see the Top 8 being whittled down to the Top 5 as the competition inches closer to announcing a winner.
American Idol is currently airing Sunday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC.
