American Idol bid a fond farewell to Katy Perry on Sunday, as the singer made her final appearance on the show after six years.
The “Firework” vocalist exited the long-running singing competition on Sunday’s season finale (19 May).
Alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Combs, Perry, 39, had been a judge since 2018 when the series was revived by ABC after a two-year hiatus.
After announcing her planned departure in February, Perry entered her final show hand-in-hand with Richie, 74, and Bryan, 47, and appeared emotional when she saw presenter Ryan Seacrest.
In tribute to Perry’s time on the show, the women of this season’s top 12 came together for a medley of some of her most famous songs: “Teenage Dream”, “Dark Horse” and “California Gurls”.
At the start of the performance, Perry was shown enjoying the tribute while enjoying a pizza slice. When the finalists finished their dedication to the singer, an elated Perry climbed on top of the judges’ desk and roared with delight, lifting her arms in a weight-lifting motion.
Perry later took to the stage for a performance of her own, duetting her song “What Makes a Woman” with third-place finalist Jake Blocker.
Later in the show, when season 22 winner Abi Carter gave a victory performance of Billie Eilish’s gentle ballad “What Was I Made For”, Perry was seen shedding tears as she watched.
As the credits began to roll, Bryan and Richie embraced Perry. However, the “ET” star did not directly address the audience with a speech to acknowledge her exit on the night.
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Ahead of the finale, Perry predicted that she would be “crying at anything” throughout her final episode.
“I think I will be crying at anything,” Perry said in an interview posted by KABC. “It’s been a beautiful journey and I love watching these kids grow and becoming this big beautiful patchwork quilt.”
Perry announced her departure during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and admitted that she hadn’t told her fellow judges of her plans prior to sharing them with the world.
Her exit marks the first time that the judging lineup of the show has changed since Perry, Richie and Bryan came on board in 2018.
Previous iterations of the show have included figures such as Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr on the judging panel.
As of yet, ABC has not announced Perry’s replacement.
