Luke Bryan doesn't really want Katy Perry to go, oh.
But still, the "Play It Again" singer wasn't surprised when Katy announced her decision to leave American Idol at the end of season 22 after seven years on the show.
"I had heard whispers that she was thinking about it," he said in a recent interview with Taste of Country Nights. "It wasn't like a huge shock."
"It's been a good run with Katy," he continued, "and she and I have developed a great friendship. It's just really been fun getting to know Katy."
In fact, the country star—who has been a judge alongside Katy and Lionel Richie since American Idol rebooted on ABC in 2018—could hardly believe that he's been working with Katy long enough for her to become a mom (she shares daughter Daisy, 3, with fiancé Orlando Bloom).
And while the duo won't be working on Idol together anymore, he's always there if she needs him.
"She knows that no matter what her next endeavors are, that she can pick up the phone and call me and check in," Luke said, joking that he'll be there if, "she ever needs fishing advice or any random stuff like that."
Luke has often had Katy's back during their time together on American Idol, even defending her against criticism she's gotten over the years.
"When it comes down to are fans too hard on Katy, you know, listen, Katy Perry's been dealing with stuff like that her whole career," he told reporters at CMA Fest in June. "We all get it."
"You know, Katy gets picked on for going out and trying to have fun making a TV show," he added. "Sometimes, you just gotta say stuff. When you roll the dice on TV like that, however it gets perceived."
Katy and Luke have watched their fair share of American Idol contestants over the years. Keep reading to see what some of those contestants are up to now.