Ryan Seacrest's Comments to Katy Perry on Idol Made Some Viewers "Uncomfortable"

On Sunday night's episode of American Idol, the five remaining contestants were coached by the show's first-ever winner, Carrie Underwood, and eventually whittled down to a final three. But the most attention-grabbing part of the night was an exchange between host Ryan Seacrest and judge Katy Perry that left many viewers scratching their heads.

"Your mom's pretty," Seacrest, leaning against the judges' table, tells Perry in the clip. "My mom? Well, I hope the apple doesn't fall from the tree," she replies, giving the camera an exaggerated smile and wink. "You are too. But you're not a mom yet," Seacrest continues in a low voice, prompting Perry to confirm, "Not yet." "Wanna talk about it?" Seacrest asks. As the studio audience stays silent, Perry and fellow judge Luke Bryan share a laugh, and judge Lionel Richie tells Seacrest, "Don't start," before Perry reminds Seacrest that the show is back on air.

Watch it, below:

Many people have taken to Twitter to react to the moment. "That delay on @AmericanIdol when no one knew they were back so Ryan Seacrest asks Katy Perry if she's a mom and if she wants him to help with that made me feel so uncomfortable. Is that an appropriate question? I don't think so," one person wrote. Others, however, suggested that the back-and-forth was scripted or planned and simply fell flat. "I've worked on several shows, and it's all extremely controlled, the countdown from commercials and on air time, so I think it was planned," one tweeted. Or, the cameras may have simply picked up, out of context, the tail end of a friendly Mother's Day conversation Seacrest and Perry were having during the commercial break, before they realized their mics were hot. Whatever the case, the exchange is surely a reminder of the impromptu nature of live television.

Whatever the context, the exchange is apparently leaving some viewers "uncomfortable" due to Seacrest's being accused earlier this year of sexual misconduct by his former personal stylist at E! News, Suzie Hardy. Seacrest has repeatedly denied all of Hardy's allegations.

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