“American Idol” fans — and even host Ryan Seacrest — were stunned on Sunday when the new King and Queen of England decided to appear on the show.
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King Charles and Queen Camilla appeared on ‘American Idol’ on May 7, 2023
Most “American Idol” fans already knew that Sunday night’s live episode was going to be extra special, thanks to a one-night shakeup to the judging panel. But they had no idea just how historic it would be.
Music superstars Ed Sheeran and Alanis Morissette made headlines for filling in for longtime judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, who were in London performing at the Coronation Concert for the newly crowned King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, on May 7, 2023 — the same day “Idol” was scheduled to announce its Top 5 contestants in a two-hour live episode.
It wasn’t a huge surprise to viewers when Perry and Richie were beamed in via a live virtual feed at the start of the show to say hello, but fans were floored when the new King and Queen walked into the room to appear on “Idol,” too. Even host Ryan Seacrest said he only learned about their participation hours before going on-air.
Across its 21-year history, “American Idol” has welcomed major celebrities and dignitaries, including former U.S. presidents George W. Bush in 2007 and Barack Obama, who’s appeared multiple times. But this marks the first time anyone in the Royal Family has appeared on the show, let alone the head of the monarchy.
The surprise appearance followed a massive outdoor concert outside London’s Windsor Castle for over 20,000 spectators, according to the Daily Record. Perry and Richie’s performances fired up the crowd and even got members of the Royal Family on their feet, which also created a stir on social media.
Several minutes into the “Idol” episode, with Morissette, Sheeran and longtime judge Luke Bryan at their seats, host Ryan Seacrest welcomed Perry and Richie to the show via satellite and asked how the Coronation Concert went.
“What a party, what a party, it was unbelievable,” Richie said from Windsor Castle, where the concert was held, and Perry agreed, saying that it was “incredible.”
Richie then said they’d been trying to think of a way to bring “something different” to “Idol,” and then paused and looked off-camera.
