Katy Perry is making her grand exit as American Idol judge in the finale. Not only will American Idol crown their winner, but the show is dedicating a healthy portion of the show remembering Perry's contributions to the cast. She will perform on the night and she's hosting a party for the rest of the crew.
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Country music giant Luke Bryan took time to ponder the relationship they have personally and in the greater context of the show. "The relationship with Katy that we've had - me and Lionel and Ryan and the show - has been amazing," he says. "I don't know any info on who may be her potential replacement, but it's a fun thing to be a part of."
Additionally, he teases what Katy Perry's plans could be after her departure. He pontificates, "I think Katy, you know, I think she's probably launching world tours and stuff where she goes around the world, and so she probably had to make a decision several months out to get in front of her plans."
Perry's departure also made Bryan wonder what his own American Idol future looks like. The big thing that connects him to the show is keeping things fresh and seeing how they could innovate. "I kind of treat American Idol like I do my music career," he expresses. "As long as the show feels like the show is reinventing itself and as long as it looks fresh and fun and I know we're really doing positive things, it's gonna always be something that I really consider doing."
Luke Bryan's Relationship with Katy Perry Over The Years
It's abundantly clear that Perry and Bryan have maintained a very strong relationship across their time as judges. After 7 seasons of playful banter, the two always demonstrate good chemistry.
The biggest piece of evidence showing that their relationship is more than coworkers bonding is how he leapt to her defense. When fans were accusing Perry of bullying Idol contestants, Bryan was the first to emphasize her good intentions. He told Fox News at the time, "We all get it.... I mean we're judging kids that people at home fall in love with.... We're not gonna bat 1,000 as judges. As judges, you know, we kinda fall on the sword a lot of times. And get set up to where people can get very vocal on socials and stuff."
If none of that indicates any tenderness, I point to the reactions of Bryan and Lionel Richie when she revealed she was pregnant to them. The quiet screams for joy in the hotel as their faces were beaming with joy. It's not hard to tell that there is genuine investment in each other's lives.
