ABC has finally lifted the curtain on the fate of three of its biggest franchises—American Idol, The Bachelor, and Celebrity Jeopardy!—but not all of them are safe.
While the network has been weighing its options for the 2025–2026 season, fans of these hit shows have been anxiously awaiting renewal news. According to insiders, two of the shows appear to be moving forward, but one major title is still hanging in the balance, with no official confirmation of its return. The uncertainty has sparked a wave of speculation and concern across fan communities, with many wondering if a long-standing favorite might be reaching its final season.
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Celebrity Jeopardy! will returnCredit: Disney
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Celebrity Wheel of Fortune is also returningCredit: Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
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The Bachelor faces an uncertain future, while sister show The Bachelorette is being rested for a seasonCredit: Getty
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American Idol will return despite an insider saying a Simon Cowell type is needed on the judging panelCredit: Disney
However, while American Idol and Celebrity Jeopardy! have both been confirmed to return, The Bachelor hasn’t made the list of programmes coming back.
American Idol, which is hosted by Ryan Seacrest, with Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan sitting on the judging panel, is being renewed for a 24th season, it’s ninth with ABC.
Celebrity Jeopardy! will also be renewed, and will also see hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White returning.
But Warner Brothers produced The Bachelor hasn’t been renewed by the Network, which follows on from the revelation earlier this year that sister show The Bachelorette will be skipping a season, and is instead due to return the following year.
Some of the other shows being renewed by ABC, include Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, Shark Tank and America’s Funniest Home Videos.
The confirmation of ABC’s renewed shows comes ahead of Disney revealing its full list of shows being brought back on the network.
The return of American Idol to ABC, comes after The U.S Sun exclusively revealed show bosses are looking for the next Simon Cowell.
That’s because a number of big names have already turned down being a judge on the show, as they don’t want to be seen as “the bad guy”, or even potentially “be canceled”.
A show insider said: “With all of the judging shakeups, Idol execs are still desperate to find their next Simon.
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“The judges are struggling to find their next Simon. They know finding the perfect mixture of harsh critique and humorous entertainment, which Simon embodies.
“And they think it would bring back the spark the show needs to boost ratings and get a fresh face lift.
“The problem is, no big star in the current day would agree to it. No one wants to be the ‘bad guy.’
“No one wants to get canceled or offend people.”
And without a Cowell-type amongst the judges, the insider worries about the show’s longevity.
They added: “So that’s why the show has pivoted to the nice, heartwarming, family-friendly route with emotional backstories.
“They really are focusing on humanizing each contestant which has worked, somewhat, but can only work for so long.”
