How Luke Bryan Is Really Doing After Being Diagnosed With COVID-19

Luke Bryan was noticeably absent from American Idol on April 12, 2021, and fellow judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie were forced to forge on without him. The country superstar confirmed in a tweet just a few hours before show time that he had been diagnosed with COVID-19, writing, "I'm sad to say I won't be a part of tonight's first live @AmericanIdol show. I tested positive for COVID but I'm doing well and look forward to being back at it soon."

With Bryan temporarily out of the picture, the show called in a familiar face to take his place. One of the show's original judges stepped in, with Paula Abdul joining Perry and Richie on the judging panel. As longtime fans will already know, Abdul was one of the original trio of judges and sat alongside Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson when the show first started airing on Fox in 2002. She stuck with the series until Season 9, leaving in 2010.

But how is Bryan really doing in the wake of his COVID-19 diagnosis and how involved with the show was he from home? Keep reading to find out what his fellow judges had to say.

Following American Idol's April 12, 2021, episode, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie opened up about Luke Bryan's absence to Entertainment Tonight. The virus can have very varied effects on people, but it sounds like Bryan isn't experiencing severe symptoms. Perry said Bryan is "totally good," adding, "I think he's gonna be alright. I think we'll be seeing him next week." As of this writing, it's not clear if Bryan will be back in studio or if he'll have to video in.

Perry also shared that the country star was texting with them the whole time and still has his signature sense of humor. "He was blowing up our phones during the whole episode. Some of it we can't even say ..." she quipped. Perry added that Bryan was also still judging, admitting, "He was just giving critiques at home. I guess, alone in his room."

A little irony was involved when Paula Abdul took over from Bryan, as she had to rearrange a COVID vaccine appointment to be on the show. "I was getting my second vaccine and I thought, 'Oh my God, what if I have a reaction?'" she told ET, revealing she managed to move her vaccine to a day earlier so she wouldn't be feeling any possible symptoms. She added, "Yesterday I was feeling kind of crappy, but today I woke up fine. And it was fun!" 

While fans are surely excited to have Bryan back, it was certainly fun to see Abdul return.