After anAmerican Idolseason filled with highs and lows for judgeKaty Perry, her fellow judgeLuke Bryanis coming to her defense.
In a recent interview withFox News, Bryan praised Perry, who he said is used to shaking off negative attention.
“Katy Perry’s been dealing with stuff like that her whole career,” he said. “We all get it… I mean, we’re judging kids that people at home fall in love with. We’re not gonna bat 1,000 as judges.”
The country star, 46, said he believes he and Perry, 38, as well as fellow judgeLionel Richie, are often put in a tough position, as it falls to them to be critical of contestants that viewers adore.
Eric McCandless via Getty Images (2)
“I think we get set up. As judges, you know, we kinda fall on the sword a lot of times,” he said. “And get set up to where people can get very vocal on socials and stuff. My thing is, I think when me and Lionel and Katy sit down at the desk, in our hearts, we’re doing the best we can.”
Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan.Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty
Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty
Perry was the subject of some heat from viewers this season, which began during auditions, when she joked that contestant Sara Beth Liebe — a mother of three children — had been “laying on the table too much.”
Liebe went on toaccuse Perry of “mom-shaming"in a TikTok video, and later quit the competition, though the “Firework” singer tried to convince her to stay. Liebe laterexpressed gratitude toward the showand toward Perry, implying that the two were on good terms.
Then, Perry wasbooed during an episode ofIdolafter she told contestant Nutsa Buzaladze to wear less glitter on stage, and also was criticized fornot providing feedbackto contestant Wé Ani.
Bryan continued to defend Perry in his interview with Fox News, saying the backlash is unwarranted.
He continued: “It makes me appreciate her even more, just how big of a scale she’s had to deal with that her whole career.”
Katy Perry.Eric McCandless/Getty
Despite his gripes with fan treatment toward Perry, the “Country On” singer had only positive things to say aboutIdol, saying it would be “a tough show” for the panel “to walk away from.”
“We feel like we’re doing beautiful work as a whole, and we felt like this year was what we had all worked together to get to,” he said, adding that he will remain a judge as long as “the vibe feels like we’re onward and upward.”
“Katy is not a bully, nor does she shame people,” he wrote. “Katy has an incredible ability to not just tell what emotional state you’re in, but to be able to tell what’s holding you back. I love all the judges, but Katy always seemed to be able to look into my soul and tell exactly what was troubling me, or what it was I was struggling with.”
Steele continued, “It’s one thing to teach someone to believe in their ability, which the judges are fabulous at. Katy reminded me to believe in who I am as an artist. She challenged me to push myself, to take on challenges that made me uncomfortable.”
He expressed feeling like “a better musician and artist after Katy Perry pushed me to believe in my potential, and to exceed my expectations.”
source: people.com
