Katy Perry has some thoughts on who should replace her as a judge on American Idol after her final season.
“I gotta say Jelly Roll was crazy when he came on the show,” Perry, 39, told E! News on Monday, April 15. “I was convinced at anything he said. He could run for president, he could be my pastor, I might go back to church for him. He could sell me anything.”
Perry added of the artist, who appeared on an episode of Idol earlier this month, “So I love him. And to have any of these guys plus Jelly on the show would be amazing. I love you, Jelly!”
When it comes to what makes a good judge, Perry said honesty is the best quality. “I want a truth teller,” she noted. “I want someone that is not afraid to tell the truth in a graceful way.”
In February, Perry revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that she was leaving the singing competition after a seven-season run.
“I think this will probably be my last show, my last season for Idol. I mean, I love Idol so much … it’s connected me with, like, the heart of America but I feel like I need to go out and feel that pulse — that pulse to my own beat,” she said at the time. “You know what I’m saying?”
Perry hinted that her fellow judges, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, didn’t know about her plans. “Well, they’ll find out tonight,” she told host Jimmy Kimmel. “They know that I have some things planned for this year.”
While she’s leaving the Idol world behind, Perry still has big things in the works for her career. “Well, you know, actually this fall in September, I’m going to be doing this huge music festival in Brazil called Rock and Rio,” she said. “It’s really exciting. It’s a big deal for people all over the world, especially for my Brazilian fans.”
Throughout her time on Idol, it can’t be denied that Perry has had some fun. During Monday’s episode, she hilariously covered up a wardrobe malfunction when her top broke while judging a contestant.
“I need my top to stay on,” she said while production crew members rushed to fix the back of her shirt. “If it’s not fixed, this show is gonna get more than it wanted.”
Perry then joked to the contestant, “That song broke my top off,” adding, “It’s a family show.”
American Idol season 22 airs on ABC Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.
