After the announcement that American Idol would be coming back to TV after 15 seasons and a two-year break, rumours quickly began to circulate about the judges. Would Mariah Carey come back? Would Jennifer Lopez? Does Mariah Carey even know who Jennifer Lopez is? Then, news came that Katy Perry would be at the judges' table...and now, news is coming that Perry is taking home one of the biggest AI paycheques ever.
The subject of money came up when Perry appeared on a 103.5 KTU radio show with Carolina Bermudez. When the host asked just how much Perry would be taking home, the singer said that she was proud of her paycheque and what the huge number signifies.
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"You know, I think there's a couple ways to go about answering that question. One is, first and foremost, the news, the media. I kinda stopped doing a whole lot of print media and I only do radio and TV because context is wild these days," Perry said. "Nobody cares about intention. It's all clickbait. It's all a bunch of crap on the internet. I think 'www' stands for wild, wild, west."
Wild, wild, west or not, E! reports that Perry is getting £20 million for appearing on the show. That's a huge jump from Mariah Carey, who reportedly earned £14.4 million and Jennifer Lopez, who made £14 million.
"I'm really proud that, as a woman, I got paid. And you know why? I got paid like more than like pretty much any guy that's been on that show," Perry continued. "And, by the way, I love men. So I'm a paid woman and I'm ready for a beautiful man."
Compare those figures to Randy Jackson, who made around £4.4 million per season and Keith Urban, who took home £4 million. Glass ceiling, what? It looks like Perry has £20 million reasons to be proud. But while she's swelling with pride, she's still focused on what the show is all about: finding the next big star. She concluded the interview by encouraging fans to audition, because, after all, the winner of American Idol season 16 is out there somewhere.
"This show is about finding real talent, making peoples' dreams come true and additionally hearing their stories," Perry said. "I want to see you. I want to hear you. I want to witness you."
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