Katy Perry, who decided to leave American Idol after Season 22, has dished about the possibility of returning to the show as a judge as well as her hopes for her replacement on the panel.
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After seven years serving as a judge on American Idol alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, Katy said her goodbyes during American Idol’s Season 22 finale on Sunday night.
“Well, everybody’s sad. I’m like, ‘It’s not like I’m dying! I’m just going to see you on tour,'” Katy quipped in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
Katy is apparently leaving American Idol to focus on her music career, but she teased that she may come back one day.
“Keep that seat hot. I mean, who knows,” Katy said. “I loved everything I got to experience and learn.”
Katy was very emotional during her final episode, and she admitted that it will be difficult to no longer work alongside Luke and Lionel.
In fact, Lionel simply telling Katy that he was going to miss her started the waterworks.
“That’s the first time I lost it,” Katy shared. “But then I ordered pizza during the show and that helped.”
Several of Idol’s Season 22 contestants performed a tribute to Katy, singing some of her hit songs, and American Idol also honored the 39-year-old pop icon with a video package recalling some of her best moments on the show.
In turn, Katy took the stage wearing an enormous skirt that featured faces of former American Idol contestants.
“I thought a good way to honor my time here would be to put the Top 24 of each season on my skirt so they were all there,” Katy said.
“It was a fun surprise because I was raising up and you just saw more and more contestants.”
When asked whom she’d like to replace her, Katy didn’t throw out specific names.
However, Katy acknowledged that she’d like to see a “fearless” person join the show as a judge, someone who won’t “mince their words.”
Katy elaborated, “Maybe someone a little polarizing just like myself. There’s a lot of people that’s like, ‘She’s awful! She should go!’ And there’s a lot of people that are like, ‘She speaks her mind! She’s authentic!'”
“Whatever, you can’t win ’em all,” she continued. “I think it’s actually better not to win ’em all because that means you actually have a point of view.”
American Idol’s 22nd season ended with Abi Carter being crowned champion and Will Moseley finished in second place. Jack Blocker placed third.
“I’m a little tired because I’ve been crying all night, but I’m just so proud, so happy,” Katy told ET after celebrating Abi’s victory.
“It feels like a cherry on top that Abi got to win just because it’s been a while since, you know, a while since a female won.”
Katy gushed about how Abi was her “pick from the beginning” to win, and she said that the results were her “present from the universe.”
Looking back on her American Idol run, Katy gushed about how the show made her feel “really close” to her country.
“I believe in humanity. I believe in the American Dream,” Katy gushed.
“I think this show, it’s like one of the last standing examples of a united front, American Dream, people coming from all places, all different beliefs, coming together.”
About The Author:
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.