“Hello, is it me you’re looking for?”
King Charles III and Queen Camilla surprised “American Idol” viewers Sunday as they made a virtual appearance alongside Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.
The show opened with a video of Richie and Perry checking in from England after performing at the newly crowned monarch’s coronation concert, which they told host Ryan Seacrest was an “unbelievable” and “incredible” experience.
The judges then stepped aside as Charles and Camilla joined them inside Windsor Castle.
“I just wanted to check how long you’ll be using this room for,” the king jokingly asked.
Charles, 74, then praised Richie, 73, and Perry, 38, on their “brilliant” and “wonderful” performances, respectively, while Camilla, 75, called the concert “absolutely fantastic.”
Richie and Perry concluded the segment by inviting themselves to Charles’ afterparty, to which the sovereign said, “You deserve it.”
The BBC announced in April that Richie and Perry were on the lineup for its coronation concert, forcing ABC to find temporary replacements for “Idol.”
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Alanis Morissette and Ed Sheeran ultimately agreed to fill in, joining regular judge Luke Bryan at the table.
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The switch-up gave viewers a break from Perry, who has come under fire throughout Season 21 for “mom-shaming” one contestant and criticizing another’s outfit.
However, a source told Page Six exclusively last week that the “Teenage Dream” singer “isn’t fazed by the backlash” she has received.
“This has been a roller-coaster season with a lot of great talent, so she is just doing her job,” the insider explained, adding that Perry “has a unique sense of humor that may not always translate well on camera, but she never has any ill intent.”
Other performers at Charles’ coronation concert included Take That, Andrea Bocelli and Nicole Scherzinger.
The event was held one day after Charles and Camilla formally became king and queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, last September.
“American Idol” airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
