Kelly Clarkson Reveals She Won’t Replace Katy Perry on American Idol
Kelly Clarkson explained why she can’t replace Katy Perry as a judge on American Idol. During her conversation with Entertainment Tonight, Clarkson shut down the hopes of fans as she became the judge of the show following the departure of Katy Perry.
She said, “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 continued, “And it would put me in L.A., and that’s why I had to quit The Voice, which I love that team. And I miss them so much.”
Clarkson has served as a coach in the singing reality competition The Voice from 14 to 20 seasons and also returned in the 23rd season. In 2023, while speaking with USA Today, she revealed the reason for her exit. She said that she wanted to spend more time with her family.
In 2023, she also admitted that the issues between her and her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, had some effect during her time on the show.
She said to ET, “I wanted a life for us. And we enjoy the park every day, and we enjoy each other,” and continued, “As a parent — people get this — you only get so much time until they don’t want to hang out with you.”
Clarkson won the first season of American Idol in 2002. In 2019, she started her own talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and after four seasons, she moved her talk show production to New York from LA. The show won 22 Daytime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Talk Show.
Katy Perry announced her exit from The American Idol after seven seasons on the chat show Jimmy Kimmel Live! earlier this year. She served as a judge on the show for seven seasons, from 2018 to 2024.
She said about her exit, “I think this probably will be my last show, my last season for Idol. I mean I love Idol so much.” She left the show to concentrate on her music career.
The replacement for Perry has not been finalized yet. Her co-judges, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, suggested some names, including Meghan Trainor and Jelly Roll.
Meghan Trainor expressed her interest in joining the show as a judge. She previously served as the show’s singing coach in the last season. In an interview with ET Online, she talks about her wish to be part of the show.
She said, “There’s nothing I want more in life to be a judge on ‘American Idol.’ That is my ultimate bucket list dream come true.”