Katy Perry has announced that she’s leaving American Idol after the upcoming season. Perry has sat on the talent show’s judging panel for seven seasons, alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.The singer made the announcement on Monday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Katy Perry Announces She’s Leaving American Idol
During Monday’s show, Jimmy Kimmel Live shared a clip of Perry from the upcoming new season of American Idol, in which she shows off her first guitar from when she was 13 years old and performs on the street in her hometown of Santa Barbara, California.
While talking about the show, Kimmel asked Perry how long she plans to appear on American Idol. The star answered that she will probably be leaving the show after Season 22, which premieres February 18 on ABC.
“I love Idol so much,” Perry said of her time on the show. “It’s connected me with the heart of America, but I feel like I need to go out and feel that pulse to my own beat. You know what I’m saying, Jimmy?”
Kimmel asked what her fellow judges thought of this, and she joked, “Well, they’ll find out tonight.” She added that Richie and Bryan know that she has “some things planned for this year.”
Perry dropped a few hints about what she has planned for this year during her interview with Kimmel. She teased that 2024 will be “a very, very exciting year.” Perry also shared that she’s “creating space for my new wingspan.” Combined with the butterflies she had on her dress, could this be a clue to her new album?
The singer clarified that Richie and Bryan are aware that she’s leaving, saying, “I’ve been in the studio for a while, so they figure something is happening.” She later explained, “I want to go and see the world, and maybe bring new music.”
However, Perry didn’t rule out returning to the judging panel at some point, saying, “Maybe I’ll come back if they’ll have me one day.” Kimmel joked that the show will “fire whoever replaces you” if she wants to return.
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
