Featured Image Credit: YouTube / Jimmy Kimmel Live/ ABC
Topics: American Idol, Katy Perry, Celebrity
Gerrard Kaonga
Topics: American Idol, Katy Perry, Celebrity
Singer Katy Perry dropped the bombshell that she was leaving American Idol.
Perry revealed to a stunned audience that the upcoming season of music talent show American Idol would be her last.
The 'Firework' singer has been a part of the judging panel on the show since 2018 after it debuted on ABC.
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When asked by Jimmy Kimmel how long she expected to continue on American Idol, she revealed that she would be moving on from the show.
But she added that she 'loved Idol so much'.
“I love Idol so much, it has connected me with the heart of America but I think I need to get out there and feel that pulse to my own beat, you know what I'm saying, Jimmy." the musician said.
Adding: “I think this will probably be my last show, my last season for American Idol.”
She continued to say that even though she loved the show, she 'wanted to see the world'.
When asked how her co-host singers, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, reacted to the news that she was leaving, Perry turned to the cameras and said that 'they will be finding out tonight'.
This decision to leave the show comes after multiple controversies the star has faced last year.
During her time on American Idol’s 21st season, online viewers accused her of bullying a contestant, Sarah Beth Liebe, who took centre stage in the audition rooms back in March.
After finding out the 25-year-old had three kids, Perry said: "Honey, you been laying on the table too much," leading social media users to accuse Perry of 'mom-shaming' Liebe.
The mom later took to TikTok to call the incident 'hurtful' and 'embarrassing' to have on TV.
While other incidents included American Idol fans wanting the singer to apologize for her 'rude' reaction towards a contestant's progression to being removed altogether for pretending to be cat.
It got to a point that her co-judge Bryan had to step in and defend her.
“I mean, we’re judging kids that people at home fall in love with." he said.
"We’re not going to bat a thousand as judges. I think we get set up. As judges, you know, we kind of fall on the sword a lot of times.
"And get set up to where people can get very vocal on socials and stuff."
“Katy gets picked on for going out and trying to have fun making a TV show,” he continued to say.
“You can’t be so safe in the moment that you’re so homogenized you can’t ever go for a joke, or go for a fun moment.
“It makes me appreciate [Perry] even more, just how big of a scale she’s had to deal with that her whole career.”
However, Perry's departure doesn't mean that she's turned her back completely as she said she would perhaps 'come back if they have me one day'.