Perry will make her exit from 'American Idol' after next week's finale
Luke Bryan defends fellow 'American Idol' judge Katy Perry
Luke Bryan expands on his future with "American Idol" and if he thinks fans have been too critical of Katy Perry this past season.
Last night's episode of "American Idol" was Disney-themed, and judge Katy Perry could not have picked a better character to emulate.
"I just feel like this whole time has been a true Cinderella story," Perry told Entertainment Tonight of her time on the show, dressed as the princess.
Similar to Cinderella at the ball, Perry's time as a judge is about to expire – next week's finale will be her last episode.
'AMERICAN IDOL' AUDIENCE BOOS KATY PERRY FOR ANOTHER QUESTIONABLE CRITIQUE
Katy Perry announced in February that she would be leaving "American Idol" after judging the show for seven years. (Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
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She shed light on what it will be like shooting the season 22 finale.
"I'm gonna stay present and take it all in and then have a little after-party and Luke [Bryan] and I will finally drink. After seven years, we'll really drink," Perry said.
Perry, Bryan and Lionel Richie have served as judges on "American Idol" since the reboot of the show in 2018.
Katy Perry says that she is planning to "really drink" with fellow judge Luke Bryan after season 22 wraps. (Disney/Eric McCandless via Getty Images)
In February, Perry confirmed during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" that she would be exiting "American Idol." At the time, Perry said Bryan and Richie would learn of her exit when they watched her appearance. "They know that I have some things planned for this year," she added.
After having time to digest the news, Bryan said next week's episode will be challenging. "It will be emotional. We've had, gosh, seven years, spending so much time together," Bryan told ET.
Luke Bryan, left, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie have served as "American Idol" judges since the show was rebooted on a different network in 2018. Ryan Seacrest is still the show's host. (Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images)
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"Me and her and Lionel, we've all leaned on each other… It'll be a little tough knowing that she's not going to be there."
Katy Perry has been criticized in the past for her method of critiquing contestants. (Disney/Eric McCandless/Getty Images)
Perry's stint on "American Idol" has not been without issues. Season 21 was a media circus for Perry as she at times was booed by fans. She was accused of "mom-shaming" a contestant during auditions.
Perry has hinted that she is leaving the show to focus on her music career, with fans speculating her sixth studio album will be dropped in the near future.
Caroline Thayer is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Follow Caroline Thayer on Twitter at @carolinejthayer. Story tips can be sent to
