Katy Perry reveals if she's still in touch with Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie after ‘American Idol’ exit

Perry who decided to leave the judge's panel after Season 22,  recently appeared on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' to discuss her life beyond the 'Idol' spotlight.
PUBLISHED FEB 1, 2025
Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Ryan Seacrest at the 'American Idol' Season 22 event on April 22, 2024 in LA, California. (Cover Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Monica Schipper)
Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Ryan Seacrest at the 'American Idol' Season 22 event on April 22, 2024 in LA, California. (Cover Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Monica Schipper)

Katy Perry is feeling nostalgic about her 'American Idol' journey. The 'Roar' hitmaker who decided to leave the judge's panel after Season 22,  recently appeared on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' to discuss her life beyond the 'Idol' spotlight. “I miss them so much,” Perry revealed referring to her fellow judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. When Kimmel questioned if she was still in touch, Perry confirmed, “I do, actually.” Kimmel inquired if they too were reaching out, to which she replied, “Yeah, of course...All the time.” Perry announced her retirement from the reality show via Kimmel's platform so her appearance was a full circle moment. In February last year, she declared, "I think this probably will be my last show, my last season for Idol."



 

The trio shared the judge's panel for almost seven years. "7 years of friendship! We’re gonna miss this California Gurl on #IDOL," the 'American Idol' Instagram page posted in May last year. As per Page Six, Perry surprised Kimmel last year when she shared that Carrie Underwood would be taking her place. She sportingly promoted the reality show to the audience, urging, “It’s coming out in March, so you gotta watch!” In an exclusive with People magazine, the 'Dark Horse' singer also praised her successor. Referencing Underwood's Season 4 win, Perry said, "She was born on that show. I think she knows how to steer it." Perry explained, "She truly knows...What it feels like to be in their shoes. We could only metaphorically feel that as judges. As artists, we've been in some sort of their shoes, but she has lived every single day. So I think she's going to have a lot to offer anyone willing to listen."


 
 
 
 
 
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Meanwhile, judge Richie revealed that his phone 'blew up' when Perry made her decision public. While appearing on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' last February, the 75-year-old claimed she wasn't 'mad' at Perry. He joked, "I'm not mad—it just made me run off the road when I first heard about it." Richie backed Perry stating that she was a young artist and it 'made sense' that she wanted to concentrate on putting out more music. 


 
 
 
 
 
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Perry recently spoke about her ambitious 'Lifetimes Tour' with People magazine. She called it a 'love-filled spectacle.' "This show will be full of BPM (beats per minute). So I suggest wearing some sensible shoes and staying hydrated because I think there's going to be a whole heck of a lot of us just dancing the night away." She hinted that her recent visual spectacle at the VMAs was a preview of what fans can expect from her tour. 

Katy Perry performs at Perth Arena on July 24, 2018, in Perth, Australia. (Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Paul Kane)
Katy Perry performs at Perth Arena on July 24, 2018, in Perth, Australia. (Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Paul Kane)

The tour, which will honor all of Perry's hit singles, is scheduled to start in Mexico City on April 23. "We always put together a message in this huge Disneyland-on-wheels type tour. There are costume changes, there are acts, there are dancers, there are musicians. I'll fly around the room. There are no bad seats in the house," she gushed about its extravagance.

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