L. Richie joins “Idol” as third judge

Grammy Award-winning musician Lionel Richie will join Katy Perry and Luke Bryan on the judging panel for ABC's revival of singing competition series “American Idol”, the network announced Friday.

“I am very excited to be joining Katy, Luke and Ryan on American Idol,” Richie said in a statement. “As a singer, songwriter and producer, I feel I can bring a great deal of experience to the table. It's going to be so much fun!”

As previously reported, Ryan Seacrest will return to host Season 16 of “Idol”, which is slated to premiere in March 2018. But fans won't have to wait that long to see the new judging panel: The trio will make their debut appearance on ABC's “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, October 4.