Katy Perry | Photo Credit: The US Sun

American Idol judge Katy Perry announced she will be leaving American Idol after season 22 on February 12th during an appearance on  “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” This came as a huge surprise to fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, as they weren’t informed of her decision before this interview. As of now it isn’t clear why she decided to leave the show, but many people believe it is because she wants more time to work on her next project/album.

Perry’s decision to leave the show has left fans wondering who might replace her, and will Idol decide to replace Bryan and Richie as well? Most people believe that Idol producers will go ahead and refresh the whole panel, hoping to give the show a breath of fresh air, especially after they made some questionable decisions during Season 22. One of their biggest mistakes was eliminating fan favorite Ziggy Krassenberg during the show-stoppers, instead of letting him go through the public vote. They made another huge mistake during the Top 14 Judges Save, where they chose to save Nya and Jordan Anthony, whom many fans didn’t like, instead of Odell Bunton Jr., Quintavious Johnson, or Jennifer Jeffries.  

So, who should replace Katy? The replacement will likely be another female pop singer. Fans are hoping to see an Idol alum replace Perry, such as Kelly Clarkson or Tori Kelly, which seems quite likely. Other rumored replacements include former judges Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, and Nicki Manaj. According to Forbes, Taylor Swift has been offered a spot on the panel. This seems unlikely, as Swift is one of the biggest singers in the world right now, and likely doesn’t have time to be on Idol, nor does Idol have enough money to give Swift a comfortable salary.

If the producers decide to replace Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, who might take their places? It will likely be another country singer for Luke Bryan, and another R’n’B/Soul singer for Lionel Richie. JellyRoll is one of the most rumored singers to replace Bryan,  as he’s been featured on American Idol two times over the last two seasons: Season 21 as a guest performer on finale night, and 22 as a guest mentor, judge, and performer. Other options include Lainey Wilson, Blake Shelton, and Kane Brown. As for Lionel Richie, some of the front runners are Allen Stone, Bruno Mars, and Fantasia Barrino. Other rumored replacements are former judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul, and former contestants Carrie Underwood and Jordin Sparks. 

I believe that next year on the judges panel we will see Tori Kelly, JellyRoll, and Allen Stone. We will definitely see an Idol alumni on the panel for season 23. Kelly and JellyRoll were both mentors and guest judges for season 22 and they fit perfectly with the three current judges. Stone was a mentor on season 21, and while I personally didn’t think he did the best job, he will definitely warm up quickly and become a great judge.

It is currently unknown when the new replacement(s) will be announced, but there is speculation that the producers will make an announcement during the finale of Season 22 in May.