Just three weeks ago, American Idol said goodbye to Katy Perry, leaving a vacancy on the judging panel alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie.
Ever since she announced her departure earlier this year, fans and media alike have speculated on who might take over for Perry’s coveted position.
Original “Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson was asked if she would go full circle and return to the show as Perry’s replacement. Clarkson served as a coach on seasons 14 to 21 of rival competition show The Voice before taking a short break. She returned briefly last year for season 23.
‘American Idol’ judge Katy Perry wants jelly rolls to replace her on show
Kelly Clarkson attends the 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on June 7, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Rodan Eckenroth/Getty Images)
“No. No. I couldn’t do that, just because I promised my kids. I was like, ‘I want to be there as much as possible,'” Clarkson said at the Daytime Emmy Awards with ” Entertainment Tonight” shared. “It would have made me move to Los Angeles, which is why I had to quit The Voice.”
Clarkson became famous after winning the first season of American Idol in 2002. She made her acting debut on The Voice in 2018. Clarkson told ET about her crew on The Voice.
Kelly Clarkson was the original “American Idol,” winning the first season of the competition show. (SGranitz/WireImage/Getty Images)
Clarkson, 42, previously admitted that the final four seasons of “The Voice” were a challenge for her. “Honestly, I’m smiling a lot of the time because I’m going through a lot of difficulties in my personal life,” Clarkson told USA Today in October.
Kelly Clarkson has quit “The Voice,” which was filmed in Los Angeles, after season 23. (Evans Vista Ward/NBC via Getty Images)
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“I learned a lot about what I can handle and what you shouldn’t handle. That’s when I said ‘goodbye’ to The Voice and made this big move. I loved that family, but I was like, ‘ I can’t smile anymore.
Clarkson left Los Angeles with her two children for New York, where she filmed her show “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
Kelly Clarkson wins a 2024 Daytime Emmy Award for “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” (Weiss Eubanks/Getty Images)
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In February, Perry confirmed she would be Quitting “American Idol” After seven years as a judge. At the time, the singer said she was looking forward to what was to come. “I have some things planned for this year,” she announced on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Katy Perry served as a judge on “American Idol” for seven years, along with Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. The trio joined the show when it was rebooted by ABC in 2018. (Disney/Eric McCandless/Getty Images)
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Perry has since advocated for musicians Jelly roll takes her place next season.
Several other names have been used to replace Perry, including Meghan Trainor and Jon Bon Jovi.
