Stars ‘in the talks’ to replace Katy Perry on ‘American Idol’ revealed — after Meghan Trainor begged for gig
Baby, they’re fireworks.
After Katy Perry’s departure from “American Idol” following her seven-season stint as a judge, fellow judges are teasing who will replace her.
“I’ve said several names,” Luke Bryan, 47, told Billboard.
“I think Pink has been in the talks, Miley Cyrus has been in the talks, Meghan Trainor has been in the talks.”
Trainor, 30, said that it would be her “dream job” during a June 12 interview on “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.”
“I have emailed three awesome people who work in that world who don’t really have the final say. I have begged for this job . . . it’s my favorite show. I’ve watched it since I was a child,” she added at the time. “I haven’t heard any updates, so check my emails . . . I want to drive to work on ‘American Idol’ and then drive home.”
Pink, 44, meanwhile, recently made it clear to “Entertainment Tonight” that she doesn’t think she’s a fit for “American Idol” because she likes her day job.
“I don’t like hurting people’s feelings [either],” she noted.
In June, the show’s first winner, Kelly Clarkson, 42, shut down the idea of returning as a judge. She told “ET,” “No. No. I can’t do that, only because I promised my kids. I was like, ‘I wanna be there as much as I possibly can.’ And it would put me in LA.”
According to Bryan, Perry was “perfect for the job” — so replacing her won’t be easy.
“I think they’re just working real hard to find somebody that can really come in and do the job that Katy did,” he said, claiming that Disney has been “really tightlipped” about the selection process with himself, fellow judge Lionel Richie and host Ryan Seacrest.
He noted: “We currently haven’t heard what the story is on who’s coming back, and if Lionel and I are coming back.”
Perry, 39, Bryan and Richie, 75, joined “American Idol” in 2018 when ABC rebooted the competition series.
Perry announced her departure from the show in February during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
After host Kimmel asked the singer how long she plans to remain as a judge on the hit ABC show, Perry said that the 22nd season would be her last.
“Well, you know, this fall, this September, I’m going to be doing this huge music festival in Brazil called Rock in Rio. It’s really exciting,” she shared. “It’s a big deal for people all over the world, especially my Brazilian fans. So I think this will probably be my last season for ‘Idol.’ ”
After gasps from the audience, the “Firework” singer said, “I love ‘Idol’ so much. It’s connected me with the heart of America. But I need to feel that pulse of my own beat.”
