Lionel Richie will return to the judges’ table on American Idol season 25 alongside Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood, despite a string of recent health issues.
Country star Bryan announced the news on stage at a show in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday.
It marks the third year that the trio of Bryan, Richie and Underwood will judge the contestants together, with Ryan Seacrest also returning as host.
The news comes just days after Richie, 77, was hospitalized for the third time since June after experiencing heart problems during his ongoing tour.
His representative told The Independent on Tuesday: “Lionel underwent a common procedure for Atrial fibrillation (AFib). The doctor said everything went perfectly. Lionel is doing great but will take some time off and will be back on stage soon.”
AFib is the most common irregular heart rhythm. Although it is not life-threatening on its own, the disorder can lead to health complications. Symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, heart palpitations and shortness of breath.
Richie was previously hospitalized for issues with his heart in June and again in August.
Last month, the singer spent three days in the hospital after he struggled to finish his August 29 concert in St. Louis, Missouri.
Richie became visibly winded on stage and videos from the end of the concert showed him asking for a chair while performing his last song of the night, “All Night Long.” He then left the show and checked himself into the hospital, winding up in the ICU.
Prior to that, the performer, who first made a name for himself with The Commodores, had a hospital visit after experiencing a dizzy spell during the first show of his tour in St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 24.
During his performance of “Dancing on the Ceiling,” Richie joked that he had never sung the song while seated, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported at the time.
“Now, what I have learned about my years of being in the business: when you are feeling dizzy, sit your ass down,” he joked on stage. “And when you are feeling strange about yourself, sit your ass down.”
He went on to postpone two tour dates after seeing a doctor in the aftermath of the show, but later shared a July 4 Instagram post assuring fans he was “doing well” after the health scare.
Nevertheless, Richie is expected to resume his “Lionel Richie: King of Hearts” residency at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas beginning October 14.
While American Idol was renewed for Season 25 in July, deals for the judges typically take a couple of months to finalize, Deadline reports.
Auditions kicked off last month with the traditional Idol Across America tour — a virtual search for singers taking place across the country.
