Judge Luke Bryan was out due to a positive COVID test, and original American Idol judge Paula Abdul stepped in to fill his seat alongside Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.
Abdul isn’t going to be a full-time judge, however, and Perry has delivered an update on when Bryan could return.
American Idol officially began its live shows of Season 19 on April 12, but the show looked different for more reasons than just the broadcast going live.