Katy Perry Names The 1 Entertainer She Wants As Her 'American Idol' Replacement

The "Teenage Dream" singer is leaving the singing competition after seven seasons with the show.

Katy Perry is leaving “American Idol” after her seventh season with the singing competition, but she’s named one entertainer she’d love to see fill her spot. 

“I gotta say Jelly Roll was crazy when he came on the show,” the “Teenage Dream” singer told E! News on Monday, naming the singer and rapper who has taken the country music scene by storm. 

“I was convinced at anything he said,” Perry explained. “He could run for president, he could be my pastor, I might go back to church for him. He could sell me anything.” 

“To have any of these guys plus Jelly on the show would be amazing. I love you, Jelly!” Perry said. 

No matter who her replacement is, she wants them to have this one quality. 

Open Image Modal
Jelly Roll and Katy Perry at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards on April 1 in Los Angeles.
Christopher Polk via Getty Images

“I want a truth teller,” she told E! “I want someone that is not afraid to tell the truth in a graceful way.”

Perry revealed that she was leaving “Idol” back in February during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” 

“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,” she told the late night host. 

Perry’s fellow hosts, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, have said they’ll miss getting to spend time with the singer. Richie even joked he had a solution to make sure she’ll never leave. 

“We’ve kind of developed a little family and what’s happening now is that we keep talking about her leaving but it hasn’t registered yet,” Richie told People earlier this week. “So I think as it goes on, Luke and I will probably get together and realize that we’re going to kidnap her.”

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost