“This relationship is forever,” Richie tells PEOPLE exclusively
Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan are soaking in every moment of their last season together on American Idol.
Speaking to PEOPLE after Monday night’s episode of the singing competition show, the judges opened up about their feelings as Perry’s exit from the series approaches.
On Monday night, America voted 10 contestants into the next round and everyone else was left in the danger zone. At the end of the episode, the judges got together and picked four contestants to save and move to the next round. Reflecting on that quick decision-making, the judges say they have it nailed down after seven seasons together.
“We don’t really have time [to discuss] in the moment,” Bryan, 47, says. “We pretty much have a commercial break to figure it out.”
Perry, 39, adds, “I don’t know about you but I’m following along the whole time thinking about who I’m going to save. So I’m prepped with my homework, Luke.”
The country star adds, “Let’s just say she’s being a little facetious in that role.”
Cutting into their bickering, Richie, 74, grew emotional as he confessed that’s what he would miss most after Perry is gone.
“These are some of the things we’re going to miss about Ms. Perry,” Richie says, as Perry interjects: “Don’t cry for me yet.”
He continues, “But I’m just going to say truthfully, it’s those moments when Luke and Katy get together.”
Then, Perry insisted that even though her time on the show is coming to an end — it doesn’t mean their bickering is “going to stop.”
“I think the group chat is still going to live on forever,” the “Firework” singer says, revealing that their group chat name is “The Judgmentals.”
The “Hello” singer then joked that he may need to work up a plan to kidnap her — that way she’ll never leave.
“We’ve kind of developed a little family and what’s happening now is that we keep talking about her leaving but it hasn’t registered yet,” he says. “So I think as it goes on, Luke and I will probably get together and realize that we’re going to kidnap her.”
Richie also says that as someone who’s “been here for a hundred years,” it’s refreshing to work with people like Perry and Bryan.
“What these two have done for me is that they’ve renewed my faith in mankind because seriously, you can have a train wreck in five minutes. It just takes the wrong attitude, the wrong ego, the wrong misunderstanding, and you’ve got a train wreck,” he says. “And I have had so much fun and I just hope to continue. This relationship is forever.”
On Monday night, the judges decided to save contestants Jayna Elise, Jordan Anthony, Nya and Roman Collins. Meanwhile, America voted through Abi Carter, Emmy Russell, Jack Blocker, Julia Gagnon, Kaibrienne, Kayko, Mckenna Faith Brienholt, Mia Matthews, Triston Harper and Will Moseley.
