King Charles III and Queen Camilla will give a royal surprise to “American Idol” fans Sunday night.
The newly coronated king and queen will be featured on Sunday evening’s episode of “American Idol” alongside judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, who performed at the King’s Coronation Concert this weekend. Following the Saturday coronation, the royal couple, Perry and Richie will appear from across the pond.
In the absence of Perry and Richie, guest judges Alanis Morissette and Ed Sheeran holding down the fort, as Morissette also serves as mentor for the Top 8.
The episode is set to air live on Sunday at at 8 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. PT on ABC.
Capping off the coronation weekend, Perry and Richie performed alongside Andrea Bocelli and other musicians during the concert, which was attended by a whopping 20,000 guests, including members of the royal family, royalty from around the world, as well as 10,000 members of the public.
Additional performers included Zak Abel, Steve Winwood and Tom Cruise, who delivered a video message from a plane cockpit, telling the king, “Pilot to pilot, Your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time.”
Perry and Richie were among the 2,000 guests invited to the royal coronation alongside British royalty Prince William, Prince Harry and Kate Middleton and nobility including Dame Emma Thompson, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith and Jill and Finnegan Biden, who attended on behalf of President Joe Biden.
The coronation ceremony, which took place at the Westminster Abbey, was watched by an audience of 20 million UK viewers, shy of the viewership of 29 million who watched the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, according to British press. The five-hour program was kicked off by the King’s Procession, which brought the future king and queen to Westminster Abbey in a modernized horse-drawn carriage.
