Katy Perry is leaving American Idol in less than a week, but host Ryan Seacrest just hinted that he might know who her replacement is. 

Katy has been a judge alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie ever since ABC revived American Idol in 2018. 

They are tied with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson for the longest-serving Idol judging panel.

Though the three original judges were together for an eighth season but with Kara DioGuardi added to the group.

Ryan Seacrest teased what he knows about Katy Perry’s American Idol replacement.

Ahead of the American Idol season 22 finale, Ryan Seacrest teased what he knows about Katy’s replacement. 

While speaking to E! News, he didn’t give much away but merely said, “Maybe, maybe not,” with a shrug when asked whether he’s in the loop about.

Who’s taking that middle spot at the judges’ table. His answer came after he talked about Jelly Roll being a mentor during the Top 24 round in Hawaii. 

He said, “You cannot take your eyes off Jelly Roll. You cannot take your ears off of that voice…and he really brought the best out of the contestants.”

Jelly Roll has been talked about a lot as a possible judge ever since his standout mentoring sessions with the American Idol Top 24 in Hawaii. Katy herself had been pitching Jelly Roll to be her replacement. The other superstar mentors that have stopped by to help guide the contestants include Tori Kelly, Gene Simmons, Meghan Trainor, Shania Twain, Ciara and Kane Brown. Gene, who’s most famous for being a member of the iconic band Kiss, made a huge splash when he was a mentor and would make for a fantastic judge.

While both Gene and Jelly Roll would be great judges, ABC is unlikely to cast an all-male judging panel. Gene or Jelly Roll would have to replace either Lionel or Luke if one of them decided to leave. Out of all the guest mentors during American Idol season 22, Meghan seems to be the most likely choice. Not only does she have several years of experience in the music industry as a pop star, but she has a fun, bubbly personality that’s made for TV. Around the same time that she mentored, she also appeared as a mentor on The Voice.

If ABC is looking to go big with Katy’s replacement, they might want to consider bringing back Jennifer Lopez, who was a rumored replacement right after Katy announced her departure. Lionel thinks either Taylor Swift or Kelly Clarkson should join American Idol, but it won’t be either of them; Taylor is way too busy and ABC probably couldn’t afford to hire her, and Kelly is now in New York, which is why she left The Voice. No matter who replaces Katy, hopefully, they will fit right in with Lionel and Luke as they search for the next American Idol winner.

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Source: USA Today