Luke Bryan has high praise for CMA Awards co-host Lainey Wilson: Shes a straight-up star

Having a new co-host can be a shake-up for some, but for Luke Bryan, having Lainey Wilson onboard has been nothing but a delight.

“Lainey’s a great personality, big personality. There’s a reason why Lainey Wilson has become Lainey Wilson in such a short amount of time. It’s because she’s a straight-up star,” Luke tells ABC Audio.

“We’re really honored to have her be a part of the club,” says Luke, who’ll be hosting the show for his fourth year. “Our read-throughs thus far have been really, really fun and we’re having a good time. She fits right into the whole mix and we’re loving having her.”

It’s hard not to love Lainey, especially when she’s got such a magnetic and lighthearted personality.

“She has fun with this. She doesn’t take herself crazy seriously. Like, I was telling somebody, I saw her doing a log roll down a hill the other day on her, I think it was her TikTok feed or whatever. So she’s just having fun with this and being herself,” Luke shares.

“I mean, anytime I’ve been around Lainey … she’s just kind of one of the boys and one of the girls, you know? She’s just a great person to be around and [I’ve got] to spend a little more time with her boyfriend, Duck. He and I, we chat a couple of times a week. So, yeah, we’re all family now,” says Luke. 

The 2024 CMAs, hosted by Luke, Lainey and Peyton Manning, will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu.

While you wait, be sure to catch the Vegas Lights & Country Nights: Countdown to the CMA Awards one-hour special Tuesday at 10:01 p.m. ET on ABC.

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