Washington [US], January 31 : Singer-songwriter Katy Perry shares how she feels about Carrie Underwood replacing her as a judge on the reality show 'American Idol,' praising Underwood's experience and insight into the competition.
"She was born on that show," said Perry about Underwood, adding, "I think she knows how to steer it," according to Billboard.
Perry's reaction came six months after Underwood was announced to be part of the panel of the show, which also includes Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.
Katy announced her departure earlier, saying, "I love the show so much, but I want to go see the world and maybe bring new music."
She said that the ace singer is bringing a new perspective to the show, "She actually truly knows ... what it feels like to be in the contestants' shoes," the "Firework" artist said. "We could only metaphorically feel that as judges," added Perry, as per the outlet.
Underwood is the most successful Idol winner, winning eight Grammys and a total of 25 accolades from the Academy of Country Music (16) and Country Music Association (9). She has also had eight albums (including a greatest hits collection) top the U.S. country charts, with four also reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Perry revealed in February that season 22 of 'American Idol' would be her last as a judge, as she wanted to focus on her own music. She along with Richie and Bryan, had been on the program's judging panel for the entire seven-season run on ABC, which relaunched the show in 2018--two years after Fox terminated Idol's first 15-season run.
The country superstar won the singing competition in Season 4 and is returning as a judge beginning Season 25.
In August, Underwood said that the show "feels like home" in an interview, adding, "I feel like being on both sides of the coin, I'll be able to hopefully offer some insight and help," as per the outlet.
"I can't lie. I just can't," she added at the time of her judging style. "You can tell. I feel like I'll be very honest, but hopefully, you know, I can be very constructive and encouraging," according to Billboard.
Simon Fuller created the American singing competition television series 'American Idol', which was produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment and distributed by Fremantle. It ran on Fox for 15 seasons, from June 11, 2002, until April 7, 2016. It was on hiatus for two years until March 11, 2018, when the series was revived on ABC.
'American Idol' has a select panel of judges. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell were the original judges for seasons one through eight. For the past three seasons on Fox, the judging panel included singers Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez, and Harry Connick Jr. Season sixteen included three new judges, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan. The show has been presented by radio celebrity Ryan Seacrest throughout its duration, except for the first season, when comedian Brian Dunkleman joined Seacrest as a co-host.
The 23rd season of American Idol is slated to premiere in early 2025. Live, virtual auditions are set to begin August 12.