What is Lionel Richie’s American Idol salary?
MUSICIAN Lionel Richie stunned fans of American Idol when they did not see him judging the competition in the latest episode.
The singer has been an integral part of the judging process since 2018 while also pursuing his career in music.
What is Lionel Richie's American Idol salary?
Lionel Richie, 71, is the third best paid judge of American Idol.
The singer reportedly earns about $10 million as a salary, while his colleagues Katy Perry and Luke Bryan earn $25 million and $12 million respectively.
claimed that Richie was first offered $2.5 million to judge on American Idol back in 2017, but fought it and cut a deal for $7 million, the same salary as Bryan at the time.
It is unclear when ABC network increased both Richie’s and Bryan’s salary.
A source close to the network confessed to PageSix regarding the judge’s salary, saying: “ABC was originally going to spend no more than $50 million on talent. They had to expand their budget for Lionel.”
Richie’s salary was on American Idol was a topic of discussion among fans of the show who believed the singer was underpaid, with one writing: “Maybe we should boycott #AmericanIdol because a pioneer in the music industry like Lionel Ritchie should not have the lowest salary of all the judges & host. Just saying....”
Another said: “pay lionel more #americanidol.”
Why is Lionel Richie not on American Idol?
Richie was not judging in the American Idol studio but he was judging the show from home after being exposed to coronavirus.
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He had to take the necessary precaution of quarantining to keep everyone safe.
Even though the singer has not been tested positive, he is taking all the measures to ensure he stays healthy.
At the moment, Richie has not revealed when he will be back in the judge’s chair.
But it is likely that he will be a virtual judge on the next episode as well, which airs on April 29, 2021.
What is Lionel Richie’s net worth?
Richie is reportedly worth about $250 million.
He has been in the music industry since 1968, with his career fully taking off in the 1980’s with a few singles such as All Night Long, Stuck On You, and Hello.