Katy Perry says goodbye to ‘American Idol’ as reality show crowns another winner
LA TimesAs one of the “California Gurls” is crowned the winner of “American Idol” Season 22, another is closing her chapter on ABC’s reality singing competition. Donning a dress decorated with more than 100 face cutouts of “Idol” competitors, Perry also took to the stage one last time to sing “What Makes a Woman” with third-place finisher Jack Blocker. The phrase refers to the number of letters in each word of the phrase “I love you.” On X, formerly known as Twitter, Perry shared a short message after the show: “There it is… 7 years.” Richie called Perry’s departure “bittersweet” because the show would lose “one of the originators” of its ABC run, which began in 2018. She was criticized for allegedly “mom-shaming” contestant Sara Beth Liebe, who later quit the show to spend time with her children despite Perry’s plea to have her stay.