Is Katy Perry leaving American Idol? Status of the cast member, explored

During her recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which aired on Monday, February 12, Katy Perry revealed her plans to leave the legacy show (American Idol) and shared details about her experiences at King Charles' coronation.

The success of the family-favorite show is credited to its super-talented stars, who come from every corner of the country with the hopes of being America's next singing superstar. Katy's presence made the show even more lively and fun, so it was unsettling when she told Jimmy:

"I think this probably will be my last show, my last season for American Idol."

While American Idol season 22 is set to release on February 18, Katy Perry's announcement is to make the fans cherish her presence this season even more. The show, which premiered in 2002, has been running strong for over two decades, and Katy has been at its helm for seven seasons.

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Katy Perry's announcement on Jimmy Kimmel about her exit from American Idol

After contributing to American Idol with her judging expertise for seven seasons, alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, Perry decided to leave because she had new projects coming.

Talking about it to Jimmy, Katy said:

"I mean I love Idol so much. It connected me with the heart of America, but I feel like I need to go out and feel that pulse to my own beat, you know what I’m saying, Jimmy?"

Katy also revealed plans for her new projects to People magazine, where she said she has new music coming in 2024, making her exit from the show bittersweet because fans are forever excited for new releases from her. Talking about what she might be focusing on after her exit from the show, Katy said:

"I love the show so much but I wanna go and see the world and maybe bring new music." As per People.

Whereas on Jimmy's show, she revealed:

"This fall, in September I'm gonna be doing this huge music festival in Brazil called Rock and Rio. It's a big deal for people all over the world, especially my Brazillian fans."

When Jimmy asked the Harleys in Hawaii singer if her co-judges Bryan and Richie knew of her exit, Perry jokingly said, "Well, they’ll find out tonight." However, she said that they knew of her upcoming projects already, so her exit might not be a surprise to them.

Katy Perry also said, "I love them [Bryan and Richie] so much," to which Jimmy teased, "So much, you didn't tell them." To which Katy said:

"They figure I’ve been in the studio for a while so they figured something is coming."

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Katy Perry reveals her experience at King Charles' coronation

Katy said that she was honored to be performing at the king's coronation, and she also shared her experience while she was there. She said that they let her stay at Windsor Castle, and she added:

"There is certain ways that you go when you're walking through the Windsor Castle, and actually we went the wrong way, after the show and... I ran straight into them[The King and the Queen]."

Katy Perry also revealed that the King and Queen "did a bit with us on Idol, which was fantastic," making fans' anticipation for the show even more intense, as they'll get to see glimpses of the King and Queen on season 22.

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Season 22 of American Idol premieres on February 18, 2024, on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.