'American Idol' Cancels Auditions Due to Flooding

Celebrities and coporations have been reacting to the disaster in Texas by sending money to help with the relief effort. This week, the producers of American Idol decided that one of the best things they could do for Texas was to stay away, so they cancelled the show's planned auditions in the state.

Via Billboard.

The nation is just starting to realize the massive scale of destruction left behind by Hurricane Harvey, with more than 11 trillion gallons of rain flooding southeast Texas, 30,000 people driven out of their homes into shelters and at least 22 confirmed dead so far in what is shaping up to be one of the most devastating natural disasters in the country's history.

The storm has also led to a number of events being canceled, including the planned auditions for the upcoming reboot of American Idol. The show announced on Tuesday (Aug. 29) that the Idol bus scheduled to arrive in the state for auditions in Houston on Saturday (Sept. 2) and San Antonio on Monday (Sept. 4) have been called off. "The safety of the community is of the utmost importance and our thoughts go out to all of those affected," read a statement from the show's producers.

Those still interested in auditioning are encouraged to attend future scheduled stops in Louisiana or apply online.  The ABC relaunch of the show is slated to kick off next year with longtime host Ryan Seacrest and judge Katy Perry, with no other judges announced at press time.

The list of rumored judges for the 2018 American Idol reboot on ABC includes everyone from Keith Urban to Charlie Puth, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. But if it were up to confirmed judge Katy Perry, it would be Richie taking the next judge seat.

Perry revealed this and other Idol deets during an interview on Wednesday (Aug. 23) with Ryan Seacrest's morning radio show, "On Air with Ryan Seacrest."

"I’m really pulling for Lionel, because I think Lionel is an icon," the Witness singer said of the "All Night Long" singer currently co-headlining a tour with Mariah Carey. "And not only that, if you’ve ever seen or met Lionel, he just knows how to charm the whole room, and he’s such an artisan with words. His whole presences just brightens the whole room."

Check out the rest of the story at Billboard.

How do you think celebs should respond to the crisis in Texas? Let us know in the comments section below.