Katy Perry Says Emotional Goodbye to American Idol After 7 Seasons — Watch
The peacock has officially flown the coop. Sunday’s American Idol finale marked Katy Perry’s last episode as a judge, and she was given quite the send-off.
You could see the emotions on her face from the moment she appeared on stage alongside fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Ryan Seacrest checked in on her during the first round and all she could say was, “It’s my last few hours.” Appropriately, Ryan replied, “Well, let’s enjoy them.”
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As the finale approached its third hour, we were treated to a look back at Katy’s Idol journey, highlighting her close relationship with Luke, Lionel and Ryan. “We have so many memories,” Ryan told Katy after the segment finished airing, asking the question on everyone’s mind: “Are you sure you want to leave us?” She shook her head, appearing to fight back tears.
Katy then took the stage for a performance of her 2020 song “What Makes a Woman,” especially rewritten to accommodate finalist Jack Blocker as a duet partner. It turned the soft ballad into an interesting conversation, though nothing was more interesting than the outfit Katy donned for the unforgettable moment — a dress patterned with the faces of Idol contestants whose journeys she has shepherded during her time on the show.
Idol also paid tribute to Katy with a medley of her biggest hits, as performed by the women of this season’s Top 12. As Ryan described it, “that was fun,” but if we’re being real, it probably should have been scheduled to go before Katy’s duet with Jack, no?
News of Katy’s impending exit from Idol was broken by the singer herself during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! back in February 2024. A seemingly innocent game of Two Truths and a Lie took a too-real turn when she confirmed one of the truths: “I think this will probably be my last season of Idol.”
Of course, Sunday’s finale wasn’t just about saying goodbye to Katy, although we’re pretty sure ABC could have aired a three-hour documentary about her Disney Night costumes alone. We would also learn which of this season’s Top 3 singers — Abi Carter, Jack Blocker or Will Moseley — would be crowned the winner of Season 22.
Will you miss your weekly (and sometimes twice-weekly) dose of Katy on Idol, or are you ready to say goodbye? And which artist would you like to see fill her vacant seat on the panel next season? Grade her as a judge below, then drop a comment your thoughts on her final episode.
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