Watch it! Katy Perry seems to have trouble making it to work on time.
TMZ reported on Jan. 18 that the singer is "almost always" late in making it to the set of "American Idol," typically showing up 10 to 25 minutes after the call time for auditions.
Producers have been frustrated, the report states, but Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, Katy's fellow judges, haven't really batted an eye and don't seem to be upset. The show hasn't gone live yet, so producers haven't been put in an uncomfortable predicament.
Katy's alleged tardiness isn't the biggest issue. TMZ states that producers are concerned there is actually too much chemistry among the three judges. Tension is needed because "that's the kind of heat that makes a show a hit," the report says, adding that there have been basically no judging conflicts so far.
To put it into context: Paula Abdul famously had issues with Simon Cowell on "Idol"; Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj were all-too-often often at odds on "Idol"; Blake Shelton and Adam Levine of resort to good-natured name-calling on "The Voice." None of that is happening with this panel.
The report says that Lionel is a pro with a strong view point, while Luke is an old-fashioned country boy.
The network and producers better hope that viewers tune it, because they're paying the talent boatloads. Katy, it's been well documented, is making $25 million from the show. Last September, TMZ claimed that Luke was set to make $13 million, and Lionel was taking home $10 million. Further, Ryan Seacrest is reportedly making between $10 million and $15 million.