He’s said to be one of the odds on favorites to join Katy Perry on the judging panel for American Idol’s 2018 reboot.
But Lionel Richie’s touring partner Mariah Carey has a few words of wisdom for the co-headliner of her All The Hits tour: ‘Don’t do it.’
The diva, who served as a judge alongside Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban and Randy Jackson on season 12 of the show in 2013, gave that response when asked about his rumored upcoming gig by Entertainment Tonight.
Warning: Mariah Carey has jokingly advised her touring partner Lionel Richie against joining the judging panel for American Idol in a new interview
‘No, I’m only kidding. If he wants to do it, that’ll be great. I think he would be really good at it,’ she added.
Explaining her initial comment, which was meant in jest, she said ‘Yeah, they just were trying to foil me when I went on there. So, you know, that’s the only reason why I say that.’
It has been reported Lionel and singer Charlie Puth are wanted as the judges alongside Katy Perry, who is being paid $25 million for the reboot.
Shake It Off: The diva and co-judge Nicki Minaj appeared to clash during their 2013 stint on the series, which will return to ABC next year
‘She’ll be good too. They both will be good,’ Carey told ET of Perry.
The ladies met backstage at one of Carey’s 2015 shows as part of her #1 To Infinity gigs at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
Mariah has not hidden her disdain for her time on the singing competition show, of which she was paid a then-record breaking $18 million dollars to be a judge on, once calling it ‘the worst experience of my life.’
Richie rich: Lionel is rumored to be one of the favorites to fill a spot next to Katy Perry on the panel, she is being paid $25 million dollars for the gig
‘Honestly, I hated it,’ Carey told Hot 97 in 2013, ‘I was lead to believe it was a three person panel. They gave me a nice, dangling monetary moment, and I was just like “Ok, Randy Jackson will be there, I’ve known him forever, he used to play bass for me.”‘
It’s believed that the addition of Nicki Minaj upset Mariah, who went on to say in the same interview, ‘It was like hell, going to work every day in hell with Satan.’
The ladies famously locked horns in a video that was leaked of them having a disagreement during auditions.
No regrets: Despite voicing her disdain for the experience, Mariah said in 2014 she was assured by good friend Prince that doing Idol was not a mistake
Previously, Carey shot a music video with Minaj for a remix of her single Up Out My Face in 2010, it is unclear what caused the relationship between them to sour.
When reminded that Minaj was late to a live episode of the show by The Breakfast Club, Carey replied: ‘Who?,’ adding, ‘That was a moment in my life I’m going to press delete.’
When asked if she regretted the gig, Mariah said in 2014: ‘I asked someone who I respect probably more than almost anyone in the business, Prince, if he thought it was a wrong move and he said no.’
‘She’ll be great’: Carey praised Katy Perry, who will be making $25 million for Idol’s next season, here they are seen at a meet and greet after one of Mariah’s 2015 concerts