Katy Perry was supported by her fellow American Idol judge after receiving criticism during season 21.
The Dark Horse singer joined Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie on the panel, but she created controversy when she told Nutsa Buzaladze that she should ‘have more grace’ following conflict with another singing hopeful.
She was eventually booed for advising the contender to tone down her next performance, and the audience seemed displeased.
Questions have been raised over whether the 38-year-old would return for the next season, but Luke has stepped in to rebuke her detractors.
‘Katy Perry’s been dealing with stuff like that her whole career. We all get it. We’re judging kids that people at home fall in love with. We’re not going to bat 1,000 as judges,’ the 46-year-old said, via Fox News. ‘As judges, we fall on the sword a lot of times and get set up to where people can get very vocal on socials.
‘When me, Lionel and Katy sit down at the desk, in our hearts, we’re doing the best we can.
Katy has served on the panel since 2018 (Picture: ABC)‘Katy gets picked on for going out and trying to have fun making a TV show. You can’t be so safe in the moment that you’re so homogenized, you can’t ever go for a joke, or go for a fun moment.
‘Sometimes, you’ve just got to say stuff. When you roll the dice on TV like that, however it gets perceived… It may be my year, next year but we’re conditioned and calloused for it.
‘Katy has been dealing with that on [the] whole. It makes me appreciate her even more, just how big of a scale she’s had to deal with that her whole career.’
The Firework singer has been a judge on the panel since 2018, however it has been rumoured that she might be ousted after American Idol executives were reportedly ‘rattled’ by the reaction.
An source, however, has stated that Katy is unconcerned by the criticism, saying that she has no ‘bad intent’ towards anyone.
‘Katy isn’t fazed by the backlash,’ a source told PageSix. ‘This has been a rollercoaster season with a lot of great talent, so she is just doing her job.
‘She’s a mentor and a friend to the contestants.’
They added: ‘[Katy] has a unique sense of humor that may not always translate well on camera, but she never has any ill intent.’
