Katy Perry to exit American Idol

Singer-songwriter and TV personality Katy Perry has revealed that the upcoming 22nd season of American Idol will be her last.

On the latest episode of the American late-night political satire talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Perry was asked directly by host Jimmy Kimmel how long she planned to stay on Idol, where she has served as a judge with Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan since the show was relaunched by ABC in 2018.

“Well, you know, this fall, 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,” Perry said in response to Kimmel’s question, before adding, “So, I think this will probably be my last season for Idol.” Later, on Instagra Perry confirmed that the upcoming season of Idol will be her last.

American Idol has a select panel of judges. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell were the original judges for seasons one through eight. For the past three seasons on Fox, the judging panel included singers Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez, and Harry Connick Jr. Season 16 included three new judges, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan. The show has been presented by radio celebrity Ryan Seacrest throughout its duration.