Why Katy Perry Might Be Done With American Idol

Katy Perry might be tuning out of her "American Idol" role. "American Idol" first became popular when it premiered in 2002. Each week, viewers would tune in to watch their favorite singers belt their hearts out in hopes of landing the top spot. The series went on to discover some of the biggest artists in the industry, including Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. In 2016, the show had its final season — or so people thought. Just two years later, it reemerged on ABC with new judges.

The "Dark Horse" singer was the first judge announced to take part in the show's revival and she knew from the moment she joined that she wanted to find incredible talent. She told People, "I don't want to walk away from 'American Idol' and just have a season go by and we don't have any Kelly Clarkson because that means we're just filling space on television. I really truly want to be able to do this exercise and make someone's dream come true."

Over the next five seasons, Perry solidified herself as a staple on the show. And in July, Perry announced she'd be returning for Season 22 of "American Idol," per Page Six. Despite signing on, however, there was a moment when Perry reportedly did not want to come back to the singing competition show.

When Katy Perry joined "American Idol," she promised she wouldn't hold back her opinions. As the seasons progressed, the "Wide Awake" singer kept true to her promise, but it was Perry's opinions that led her to consider completely leaving "American Idol" altogether. According to the Daily Mail, Perry has been wanting to leave the show for a while, and Season 21 almost pushed her to the edge.

In Season 21, 25-year-old contestant Sara Beth Liebe revealed she had three children during her audition. Perry, shocked by how she was a young mother to three kids, commented that Liebe had been "laying on the table too much." When this episode aired, people quickly called out Perry for mom-shaming, and some even went as far as to request she be let go from the show. Criticism over Perry's remarks only worsened when Liebe shared, "...mom-shaming is super lame," in a now-deleted TikTok video, per Forbes.

The hate thrown at Perry almost became too much and she wasn't happy with how the show's producers made her look. A source revealed to the Daily Mail, "Katy feels like [the producers] threw her under the bus. She feels like her comments could have been removed." The season progressed, but Perry still faced wave of hate. The source shared, "She has accomplished so much in her career and is now being looked at as a nasty reality show judge."

Katy Perry's time on "American Idol" has produced several controversial moments. In 2018, Perry had social media fuming after she kissed 19-year-old contestant Benjamin Glaze, per People. Glaze revealed in his audition he had never kissed anyone, so Perry offered her cheek for him to kiss. But what Glaze wasn't expecting was for the musician to turn her head to give him a peck on the lips. The contestant later told The New York Times he was "uncomfortable" with the kiss. He shared, "I wanted to save it for my first relationship," he said. "I wanted it to be special." Beyond calling out Perry for kissing Glaze without his consent, viewers couldn't help but chastise the singer for kissing someone so much younger than her.

And that's not all. Many have critiqued Perry for her pranks on the show, per The U.S. Sun. During her first season on "American Idol," Perry revealed to a girl group of four they only had room for three contestants and someone would have to give up their spot. Eventually, one of the girls volunteered, as everyone was extremely emotional. Come to find out, Perry was kidding, and all of them were going through. Many called out the musician for pulling such a cruel prank, as many viewers didn't find it funny at all. Over the years, Perry has faced constant backlash from "American Idol" viewers and contestants and nearly prompted her to make an early exit.