Luke Bryan will return for his seventh season as a judge on American Idol in early 2023. It’s a role he loves, and might have never taken if not for the encouragement of Blake Shelton. It was Shelton who encouraged Bryan to take on the TV gig, knowing what being on The Voice did for his own career, which is why it’s bittersweet for Bryan to see Shelton leave The Voice next year.
“We’ve talked about our careers in those roles,” Bryan shares with Lon Helton on Country Countdown USA. “Blake was a big reason why I decided to do American Idol. Him stepping down from The Voice, I know he’s ready. He’s ready to move to the next chapter. It’s gotta be a good feeling. I wish him nothing but the best, and I thank him for paving the way for there to be a voice of country music on TV like that.”
This isn’t the first time Bryan has publicly praised Shelton for encouraging him to take on the Idol role. During an episode of Bryan’s Party Barn Radio on Apple Music with Shelton, Bryan thanked him for his advice.
“You said, ‘Do it.’ I said, ‘Heck yeah, I’m going to do it,'” Bryan recalled (via Country Now). “It was like you told me. It certainly opens your eyes, opens your world up to stuff you never can imagine …Thank you for that.”
Shelton just celebrated his ninth win on The Voice, with Season 22 Bryce Leatherwood. In October, he announced that he had decided to leave the reality TV talent show, where he has been since its inception.
“I’ve been wrestling with this for a while and I’ve decided that it’s time for me to step away from The Voice after next season,” Shelton said in part. “This show has changed my life in every way for the better and it will always feel like home to me. It’s been a hell of a ride over these 12 years of chair turns and I want to thank everyone at The Voice from NBC, every producer, the writers, musicians, crew and catering people, you are the best. It takes a lot of work, passion, and adult beverages (Ha!) to pull off a live show twice a week.”
Bryan will return to American Idol next year, along with fellow judges Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, and host Ryan Seacrest. The show will premiere on Sunday, February 19, on ABC.