Pop star Katy Perry bid farewell to American Idol after seven seasons as the show concluded its 2024 season on Sunday.
During the finale, the top 12 contestants performed a medley of Perry’s hits, including “Teenage Dream,” “Dark Horse,” and “California Gurls.” Perry, enjoying a slice of pizza as the performance began, leaped onto the judges’ table at the end and gave a celebratory salute.
Perry also performed “What Makes a Woman” alongside competitor Jack Blocker during the three-hour finale. Meanwhile, Abi Carter was crowned the winner of Season 22. Perry had announced her departure from the show in February, expressing her desire to “feel the pulse of [her] own beat.”
The ‘Dark Horse’ singer revealed her exit from American Idol on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Perry shared that she has more upcoming projects for this year. “I think this probably will be my last show, my last season for Idol. I mean, I love Idol so much,” she said. “It’s 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?”
Fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie expressed their support for Perry’s decision, with Bryan acknowledging he had heard “whispers” about her potential exit. Richie, initially surprised by the news, later stated that it “makes sense.”
Perry’s departure marks the end of an era for American Idol, as she has been a judge on the show since its revival by ABC in 2018.
