ABC
Inside Katy Perry’s Messy ‘American Idol’ Exit After 7 Seasons: ‘The Show Needs New Energy’
Katy Perry’s American Idol colleagues were already breathing a huge sigh of relief now that she’s leaving the franchise, but she’s doing herself no favors by acting like a jaded checked-out diva on her way out the door, according to an insider on the ABC reality competition.
“This was always just a job to Katy, and never grew into a passion,” the source exclusively reveals to Life & Style. “This was not a place where she made new friends or got inspired. As much as she would try to empathize with the contestants oncamera, Katy’s attitude behind the scenes is that of a top-dog showbiz veteran who has literally seen it all and, frankly, nobody impresses her.”
The insider notes that Katy’s “outsized salary compared to every single other person working on the show” caused tension as she wrapped up her time on the series.
“It’s quite a different dynamic from Simon Cowell’s and Randy Jackson’s respective final years more than ten years ago, when the mood was all about what each of those guys had accomplished in helping to build this giant TV franchise. The current judging panel, of which Katy was the highest paid member, have found themselves in the position of managing decline as streaming takes over for broadcast television.”
Now, Katy, 39, is ready to focus on her music career, while Idol is looking to revamp things. “The show needs new energy and a stronger connection to today’s pop stars,” the source adds. “Her star profile was never a great fit at Idol compared to the oncamera talent that became famous because of the show, and now she is joining the list of novelty castings on this series that wore out their welcome, and perhaps audiences, alongside Ellen DeGeneres, Stephen Tyler and Jennifer Lopez. Katy’s going to publicly spin this as the end of a great run, but the show needs new energy as soon as possible!”
Katy joined American Idol alongside Luke, 47, and Lionel, 74, in 2018. The trio made up the panel of judges for seven seasons, but Katy announced in February that she would not be returning. The Sunday, May 19, finale of season 22 was her final episode.
It was an emotional night for the “Roar” singer, who took the stage to sing “What Makes a Woman” with finalist Jack Blocker. For the performance, she wore a dress with a massive skirt that had the faces of all the contestants who made the top 24 on her seasons of the show.
