There’s reportedly no harmony on the American Idol set as judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan clash over who should replace exiting judge Katy Perry on ABC’s hit singing competition show, Radar reports.
In February, Perry announced she was leaving American Idol after her seventh season.
“It’s turning into a real claw-fest now that Katy’s leaving,” a snitch dished to the National Enquirer.
The I Kissed a Girl singer, 39, announced her departure from the show to return to her “day job” making music. Since then, Bryan, 47, and Richie, 74, have been allegedly feuding over who should fill her seat.
“This has been a very stressful time for Luke and Lionel because they’ve been left in the dark about so much there was even talk producers were going to start fresh with a whole new lineup and give them the boot,” the tipster explained.
“That hasn’t happened, so now the next worry is who will join the show.”
“Luke’s complaining Lionel’s trying to insert one of his favorites and hijack the show,” the insider claimed. “Luke thinks the decision isn’t up to them, it’s the bosses who should decide and he’s irritated that Lionel’s being so pushy behind the scenes.”
The All Night Long singer openly admitted he wanted a friendly face to join them at the judges’ table. Lionel confessed, “I do have my eye on at least two.”
According to the mole, “Lionel is constantly putting his two cents in to sway producers and saying they should get someone like Diana Ross, Kenny Chesney or Tim McGraw if they’d agree to it.”
“All of them have collaborated with Lionel over the years and Luke thinks even if they agreed , it would put Lionel at an unfair advantage over him,” they added.
But producers are said to be welcoming the nonstop squabbling!
“The bosses don’t seem to mind it,” the source dished. “Their tension helps the competition on the show.”
While Richie is reportedly meddling behind the scenes, producers were allegedly scheming to replace Bryan!
Execs were allegedly pushing for up-and-coming country music star Jelly Roll to replace him. Sources snitched that Jelly, who was named a mentor, was being brought on to “test the waters and see how viewers react.”