The original American Idol judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson at the Fox 2002 SummerTCA Tour the year the show launched. Known for his blunt critiques and brutal honestly, Simon Cowell remained until Season 9. Abdul appeared on Seasons 1-8 before moving on to judge on The X Factor.

Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood are all returning as judges for the upcoming season 24 of American Idol. Yep, the judging trio has been tapped to return to the stage for a second round once the venerable music competition series returns to ABC and Hulu in 2026.

The "American Idol" judging trio of Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood will return for season 24 of the 23-year-old televised singing competition program.