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American Idol joins a growing list of television shows by taking an unplanned hiatus. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the long-running singing competition has stopped short of taping the rest of the Hollywood week episodes.
The reason behind the shutdown is that American Idol producer Fremantle is simply following Los Angeles County’s guidelines prohibiting large gatherings. To thwart the spread of COVID-19, they put these strict instructions in place.
‘American Idol’ Is Still Airing New Episodes
Nevertheless, American Idol fans can still look forward to fresh shows on ABC — for now. Before production shut down, three pretaped episodes were prepared for airing. One will be featured Sunday night.
However, two more episodes planned for Hollywood week did not get finished before Idol contestants were sent home to spent time being quarantined with family. The three American Idol judges — Katy Perry, Luke Brian, and Lionel Richie — are also biding their time in their own abodes.
Pregnant Katy Perry Is Being Very Smart About Staying Safe During COVID-19
Since Katy is pregnant and expecting her first child this summer, she is being extra careful. After all, her new status falls into the COVID-19 danger category.
So, as the only female Idol judge, she and fiance Orlando Bloom have plenty of time to prep for the arrival of their child. It looks as if the couple might try out social distancing as she and the actor reunited in time to hunker down.
Orlando was in Prague filming for the second season of his show Carnival Row when production halted. He made it back to the U.S. from Europe just before the borders closed.
Meanwhile, the expectant mom is enjoying new dining habits. These include eating pickles right out of the jar, as she proved to her 92 million Instagram followers.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B97iBvnHUSI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
How Does It Look For ‘American Idol’ Moving Forward
As for America Idol, they plan to reschedule live shows originally slated to start April 6. When that will happen is not clear but producers are keeping a close eye on the coronavirus situation as it unfolds. So the April 6 date moves to an unknown time in the future.
Besides being unable to make new shows, some Idol contestants meant to be rehearsing for the live episodes are no longer doing that. However, Idol‘s production team has been working from home as much as possible.
At the same time, editors continue to ready the pre-taped episodes.
“It is conceivable that the producers and ABC could use additional existing footage for an extra episode or two to buy themselves some time while they evaluate the situation and make a final decision whether to proceed with live shows and, if they do, in what shape or form,” suggests Deadline.
Another reality singing show, The Voice faces similar challenges to Idol. The first live show for this season’s competition on NBC reportedly rolls out on May 4.
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