Featured Image Credit: ABC / Associated Press / Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: Film and TV
Claire Reid
Katy Perry will be temporarily replaced on American Idol with a ‘big time’ star set to take her place.
Perry and fellow American Idol star Lionel Richie will both be absent from filming at the weekend with some as-yet mystery famous faces taking over judging duties instead.
Luke Bryan told Entertainment Tonight: “It’s big time. It’s big time. The people that we have filling in, contestants have used their songs many, many times. A lot more than mine!”
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Perry has come in for public scrutiny in recent weeks over some comments she’s made on the show.
Contestant Sara Beth Liebe accused Perry of ‘mom-shaming’ her when she appeared on an episode earlier this year.
Prior to her performance, the judges commented on Liebe’s youthful looks and were taken aback when she revealed she was actually a mom-of-three.
After making the admissions, Perry stood up out of her seat, prompting Liebe to joke: ”If Katy lays on the table, I think I’m going to pass out.”
Perry shot back: “Honey, you been laying on the table too much.”
In a post on social media, Liebe said Perry's comments weren’t ‘super kind’ and had been ‘hurtful’. She also said it was ‘super lame’ to mom-shame before thanking her followers for showing support.
Perry faced another backlash when an older clip of her critiquing a performance by Erika Perry (who we can safely assume is no relation to Katy) resurfaced online, with some viewers thinking her comments were unnecessarily harsh.
So it may be a bit of a welcome break for Perry to step away from judging duties this week as she flies to the UK to perform at King Charles III's coronation; where Richie is also set to perform.
The concert, which takes place on Saturday, May 7, means Perry and Richie will miss this weekend’s American Idol show.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight after it was revealed she’d be taking part in the concert, she said: "I'm grateful I get to go. I met His Majesty to be a few years ago and he named me as one of the ambassadors to his organization, The British Asian Trust, which is an organization that helps fight to end child trafficking.
"So I'm also an ambassador for UNICEF, and it really aligned with my values. That's mostly why I'm going, to be an ambassador and to say, 'Hey, this is me from the USA.' No, but it's so cool."