Luke Bryan has defended Katy Perry from the backlash she has received over American Idol.
While speaking to Taste of Country, the Roller Coaster singer addressed criticism that his fellow American Idol judge received during the show's recent 21st season.
"I mean, we all get it," Luke told the outlet. "We're judging kids at home that people fall in love with, so we're not gonna bat a thousand. We're not gonna bat a thousand, as judges."
Fans criticised Katy online for seemingly insulting some American Idol contestants on the show.
"When me and Lionel (Richie) and Katy sit down at the desk, in our hearts, we're doing the best we can. You know, Katy gets picked on for going out and trying to have fun, making a TV show," Luke continued in his interview. "You can't be so safe in the moment that you're homogenised, (that) you can never go for a joke or a fun moment. Sometimes you gotta just say stuff and roll the dice on TV like that, however it gets perceived."
The country singer then praised the Firework hitmaker for handling the backlash well.
"We're conditioned and calloused for it," he said. "And Katy's been dealing with that - it makes me appreciate her even more, just how big of a scale she's had to deal with that, her whole career."
In a previous interview with Extra, Katy teased her plans to return for the show's 22nd season.
"I know that I miss going out into the world and doing what those kids get to do. I can see I'm getting a little FOMO after all these years because it's been quite a minute," she shared. "So, I hope so. We'll see."
Luke, Katy and Lionel have served as the judges of American Idol since 2018.
