Luke Bryan has high praise for CMA Awards co-host Lainey Wilson: 'She's 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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