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."


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by American Idol (@americanidol)


 

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. 


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Ryan Seacrest (@ryanseacrest)


 

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.

RELATED TOPICS AMERICAN IDOL (2002) THE IDOL

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

‘Suits LA’ and ‘Arrow’ star steps into the ‘Baywatch’ reboot as Hobie Buchannon, launching a new generation of lifeguards on Fox
6 hours ago
Nicolas Cage’s ‘Spider-Noir’ teaser offers a gripping look at the hero’s dark powers, gritty world and high-stakes battles in 1930s New York.
19 hours ago
Apple TV+’s ‘Off Weeks’ adds four notable actors in recurring roles, expanding an already star-studded lineup led by Ben Stiller and Jessica Chastain.
20 hours ago
Andrew Bird debuts a new song in ‘The Pitt’ Season 2, adding emotional depth to the medical drama’s evolving soundtrack.
21 hours ago
'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' showrunner Ira Parker admitted a pivotal Dunk moment from the source novella was unintentionally left out.
22 hours ago
A high-profile romance, public pressure, and a final flight that changed everything now returns to the spotlight on Hulu
23 hours ago
TV veteran lands the iconic detective role as NBC revives ‘The Rockford Files’ for a modern primetime comeback
1 day ago
The upcoming Prime Video series 'Off Campus' is a TV adaptation of Elle Kennedy's best-selling novels and will stream in May.
1 day ago
Season 51 of ‘Saturday Night Live’ returns post-Olympics with a fresh wave of hosts and musical surprises
1 day ago
'The Pitt' Season 2 shows a beloved patient’s storyline taking a devastating turn, delivering one of the season's most emotional and tragic developments.
1 day ago