Ryan Seacrest Weighs In On Katy Perry Wanting Jelly Roll On American Idol, But Does He Already Know Who’s Replacing Her?

Jelly Roll made quite the impression when he served as a guest judge for the "Aulani Round" of American Idol’s 22nd season. He was so good, in fact, that his name continues to be at the forefront of people’s minds when talking about Katy Perry’s replacement, as she announced she is exiting American Idol after this season. The “Roar” singer herself endorsed Jelly Roll as her successor, and now Ryan Seacrest has given his 2 cents. But wait, does the longtime host already know who’s getting the gig?

Ryan Seacrest Weighs In On Jelly Roll As Possible American Idol Judge

Katy Perry sang Jelly Roll’s praises after his April appearance on the ABC singing competition, calling him “amazing” and saying she “was convinced at anything he said.” Ryan Seacrest seemed to agree that the “Son of a Sinner” singer has a hypnotic quality about him, as he told E! News:

Those are all great qualities to have as the judge of a singing competition, so is it safe to say that Ryan Seacrest is also endorsing Jelly Roll? We may want to pump the brakes on that assumption, because the host may possess more information than he’s letting on.

Does Ryan Seacrest Already Know Who’s Replacing Katy Perry?

Ryan Seacrest has been the host of American Idol since the beginning — dating back to 2002, when the competition aired on Fox — so it would make sense if he’s aware of the conversations being had about which musical superstar to bring in as Katy Perry takes her leave. When asked directly if he had tea to spill regarding American Idol’s Season 23 judges, Seacrest played it coy with a shrug, saying:

With the Season 22 finale airing on the 2024 TV schedule at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, May 19, it looks at this point like they might wait until Katy Perry has officially clocked out before addressing next season’s casting. However, Ryan Seacrest’s teasing response makes me think some moves have already been made.

We’ll have to wait to see if Jelly Roll gets the gig, but from the singer’s comments, it sounds like it’s a job he’d be willing to accept. He even joked that he’d already said yes, even though they hadn’t offered it to him.

The “Need a Favor” singer isn’t the only one interested, though. Former American Idol winner Jordin Sparks previously tweeted that she’d answer ABC’s phone call, and current judge Lionel Richie threw out a couple of big names he’d love to have sitting beside him.

Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to see what the judges’ table will look like moving forward, but until then we can just enjoy our final moments with Katy Perry.