Lionel Richie, who is also a judge on ‘American Idol,’ was a bit more diplomatic and positive

Carrie Underwood has joined those who are piling on Katy Perry after she was part of the recent all-female celebrity-filled Blue Origin space flight.

The two singers have both served as judges on American Idol, with Underwood replacing Perry. Underwood also launched her career on the show as a contestant who won Season 5 of the singing competition in 2005.

During a recent interview with Access Hollywood, which has been posted on TikTok, Underwood, 42, was asked about Perry’s recent short journey into space. “The day I go into space is when the good Lord decides my time on Earth here is done and he takes me home,” she said. “That’ll be the day I leave this Earth,” she added.

Lionel Richie, who is also a judge on Idol, was a bit more diplomatic and positive. “My first impression was, ‘Get out the capsule.’ It’s not that anything was going to go wrong. It’s just that I don’t like the phrase, ‘Never happened before.’ So, I said, ‘You go right on girl.’

The 75-year-old music legend went on to poke some fun at himself. “Lionel Richie is having trouble navigating Earth and gravity. Just walking straight everyday is a taunting task at this point in my life. ‘Don’t fall off the stage, Lionel.’”

When the interviewer commented that he’s probably not going to take a trip to space any time soon, Richie joked, “I’ve been in space since 1976! What are you talking about, man!”

The onetime frontman of 1970s stars the Commodores went on to shout of some of the names of his band’s funky contemporaries at the time, including Parliament-Funkadelic, the Ohio Players and Bootsy Collins. “Am I going to go to space?” Richie added. “I’m trying to come back from space!”