Emotional Katy Perry Says Goodbye to ‘Idol’ After 7 Seasons

Katy Perry has left the building.

The “Roar” singer got emotional during the season 22 finale of American Idol on Sunday, May 19, as she bowed out of the hit singing competition after seven seasons.

Perry, 39, was spotted crying as season 22 winner Abi Carter closed the show with her winning performance — a cover of Billie Eilish’s Oscar-winning track, “What Was I Made For?” — as fellow judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan wrapped their arms around her.

🚨🚨Spoiler Alert 🚨🚨

Katy Perry gets emotional during the final moments of the #AmericanIdol Season 22 finale pic.twitter.com/o1K1famDG0

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) May 20, 2024

Before Carter was announced as the winner, there were plenty of sweet moments to mark Perry’s seven years on Idol.

Perry collaborated with finalist Jack Blocker to perform her song, “What Makes a Woman,” lifted from her 2020 album, Smile. For the performance, Perry wore a dress adorned with the faces of some of the Idol contestants she has judged over the past seven years.

[embedded content]

This year’s contestants returned the love as the women who made the top 12 performed a medley of Perry’s greatest hits, including “Roar,” “Teenage Dream,” “Dark Horse,” and “California Gurls.”

Perry looked on while nibbling a slice of pizza. At the end of the performance, she hopped up on the desk and took in the applause from the audience, contestants, host Ryan Seacrest, and her fellow judges.

[embedded content]

On X, Perry shared some behind-the-scenes details from her final night. “A pizza my heart will always be on the #idol stage,” she captioned a video of her throwing pizza into the crowd.

a pizza my heart will always be on the #idol stage pic.twitter.com/VlE5uzIdf3

— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) May 20, 2024

Perry’s finale outfit also paid homage to her time on Idol. The star wore a gold metallic breastplate featuring seven roses — one for each season she has appeared on.

🥀 7 roses for 7 seasons 🥀 #idol pic.twitter.com/JnYdnBqthU

— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) May 20, 2024

“🥀 7 roses for 7 seasons 🥀 #idol,” she captioned the post.

Perry, who joined Idol along with Richie and Bryan when it moved to ABC in 2018, first announced her Idol departure during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in February.

“I think this probably will be my last show, my last season for Idol,” she said. “I mean, I love Idol so much. It’s connected me with, like, the heart of America, but I feel like I need to go out and feel that pulse to my own beat, you what I’m saying?”

“I love the show so much,” she added. “But I wanna go and see the world and maybe bring new music. Maybe I’ll come back if they’ll have me one day.”