While appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Katy Perry shocks everyone by making a giant announcement that will change the future of American Idol.

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Katy Perry just announced that she is leaving American Idol after being a judge on the hit singing competition show for seven seasons. Katy is a pop superstar who joined the American Idol season 16 judging panel when ABC revived the series following its cancelation on FOX. Since 2018, Katy has been a judge alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. This has been one of the longest-running judging panels in the history of American Idol and is considered one of the best the show has seen.

During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote American Idol season 22, Katy shocked the studio audience when she revealed that the 2024 season will be her last.

“I think this will probably be my last season for Idol.”

She told Jimmy, “This September, I’m going to be doing this huge music festival in Brazil called Rock in Rio. It’s really exciting. It’s a big deal for people all over the world, especially my Brazilian fans. So I think this will probably be my last season for Idol.” She continued on to express how much she loves American Idol and acknowledged that it’s “connected” her “with the heart of America.”

Katy Perry Reveals Why She’s Leaving American Idol

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“I need to feel that pulse of my own beat.”

Katy’s comment right before her surprise announcement, that she’s performing at a big musical festival, doesn’t seem like the actual reason she would be leaving American Idol. However, she did go on to hint at the likely reason for her exit. “I need to feel that pulse of my own beat,” she revealed. While she didn’t come out and give a definitive explanation, reading between the lines, it sounds like she’s working on a new album and planning a major tour, which would obviously take up a lot of her time.

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Katy was asked how Lionel and Luke reacted to her leaving American Idol. “Well, they’ll find out tonight,” she exclaimed.

During her Kimmel interview, a funny moment occurred when she was asked how Lionel and Luke reacted to her leaving American Idol. “Well, they’ll find out tonight,” she exclaimed. Clearly, her co-judges weren’t aware that she would be making this announcement. It would also be interesting to know if ABC was aware or if executives were also caught off guard. After all, if Katy does end up leaving after American Idol season 22, it would be the first time during the ABC era that the producers will need to search for a new judge.

There are plenty of famous singers who would jump at the chance to replace Katy as an American Idol judge. However, producers might not need to look too far. During American Idol season 21, both Katy and Lionel had to skip one of the live shows to attend King Charles’ coronation. Alanis Morissette and Ed Sheeran were their temporary replacements. Alanis was widely praised for her remarks while judging all the performances. Even though she doesn’t have the giant personality that Katy has, she would be a great choice.