Already have an account?
Get back to the

Mariah Carey’s Advice to Lionel Richie on ‘American Idol’: ‘Don’t Do It’

Mariah Carey and Lionel Richie
Mariah Carey and Lionel RichieJACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images; Daniel Knighton/Getty Images

Mariah Carey didn’t mince words when asked for her two cents on rumors that Lionel Richie is being considered for a judging spot on the American Idol reboot. 

Related: Celebrity Feuds: The Biggest Ever!

“I would say, don’t do it,” Carey told Entertainment Tonight on Monday, July 31. “No, I’m only kidding. If he wants to do it, that’ll be great. I think he would be really good at it.”

“Yeah, they just were trying to foil me when I went on there,” Carey told ET of her time as a judge during the 2013 season of the singing competition show. “So, you know, that’s the only reason why I say that [to Richie].” The pop star and “All Night Long” singer, 64, are currently headlining their All The Hits tour, which performed in Los Angeles Monday night.

Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban onstage at FOX's "American Idol" Season 12 Top 4 to 3 Live Performance Show on May 1, 2013 in Hollywood, California.
Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban onstage at FOX’s “American Idol” Season 12 Top 4 to 3 Live Performance Show on May 1, 2013 in Hollywood, California. FOX via Getty Images

Related: American Idol Judges: Then & Now

Carey called her one-season stint on Idol, where she feuded with fellow judge Nicki Minaj, “the worst experience of my life” during a 2015 Australian radio interview. “I don’t think they had any intentions for us to have a good experience doing that show. Pitting two females against each other wasn’t cool,” the singer revealed. “It should’ve been about the contestants instead of about some nonexistent feud that turned into even more ridiculousness.”

Related: American Idol’s Most Heartbreaking Eliminations Ever!

Katy Perry has already been announced as a judge on the ABC reboot, and Carey gave the “California Gurls” singer her vote of confidence. “She’ll be good too,” she told ET.

In this article

Got a Tip form close button
Got a tip for US?
We're All Ears for Celebrity Buzz!