Luke Bryan Defends Fellow Judge Katy Perry Against ‘American Idol’ Backlash
ABC/Eric McCandless Reading Time: 2 minutes
American Idol judge Luke Bryan recently spoke out in defense of his fellow judge Katy Perry, who has received backlash for her treatment of certain contestants on the show. Bryan also addressed his own future on the show.
Luke Bryan Defends Fellow American Idol Judge Katy Perry
“Katy Perry’s been dealing with stuff like that her whole career,” Bryan told Fox News of his fellow judge. “We all get it.… I mean we’re judging kids that people at home fall in love with.… We’re not gonna bat 1,000 as judges.”
Perry received criticism this past season for her treatment of contestant Sara Beth Liebe, who shared that she’s a mom of three. The audience even booed Perry for comments she made about contestant Nutsa during the Hawaii round.
“I think we get set up,” Bryan continued. “As judges, you know, we kinda fall on the sword a lot of times. And get set up to where people can get very vocal on socials and stuff.”
Bryan said he and his fellow judges are “doing the best we can,” adding that “Katy gets picked on for going out and trying to have fun making a TV show.” He said the judges shouldn’t be afraid to “ever go for a joke.” Bryan acknowledged, “It may be my year, next year.”
SEE ALSO: ‘AMERICAN IDOL’S OLIVER STEELE SAYS JUDGE KATY PERRY IS ‘NOT A BULLY’
Will Bryan Return to the Show Next Season?
American Idol has officially been renewed for Season 22, although it has yet to be confirmed whether the panel will be returning. Rumors have swirled that Perry might be thinking about quitting the show due to the backlash she’s received.
Bryan told Fox News that it’s “a tough show for me and Lionel [Richie] and Katy to walk away from.” He joked that host Ryan Seacrest “could go do whatever he wants to” after appearing on the show for 21 seasons.
“We feel like we’re doing beautiful work as a show, and we felt like this year was what we had all worked together to get to,” Bryan said, adding that he’ll stay on the panel as long as “the vibe feels like we’re onward and upward.”
