‘American Idol’ Winner Jordin Sparks Wants Katy Perry’s Vacant Position, but Has Doubts She’ll Get It

The hunt for Katy Perry’s replacement on American Idol continues, and former winner Jordin Sparks has put her name in the Goblet of Fire. However, the 2007 champion still has her doubts that she’ll get the call.

Back in February, Sparks posted on Twitter/X that she was interested in the open judge position. “Oh hiiii [American Idol]—I hear a seat opened up at the judges table! I’m putting my name in the hat!” she wrote on the social media platform. Fans were quick to show their support, casting their hypothetical votes for Sparks.

According to a recent report from TMZ, Sparks hasn’t heard back after her tweet. “I’m sure they’ve already picked somebody by now,” she said, adding, “but I thought it would make sense [for her to join the show].” Having a former winner helping out budding talent on American Idol certainly does make sense. However, at this point, Sparks is probably right and the show has made their choice. At the very least, fans hope they’re narrowing down their choices.

Sparks continued, stating that it would make sense for her to join as “Somebody who’s already done it, I’ve been there, I love the show, obviously, [and] I love mentoring other people coming up to be in this industry … [so] it would have been cool.”

Jordin Sparks Wants to Return to American Idol as a Judge, Thinks That “Would Make Sense”

When asked if she would still be open to becoming an American Idol judge if the show hasn’t picked anyone yet, Jordin Sparks replied, “Yeah, please, call me,” gesturing as if to the American Idol showrunners. Clearly, the former champion wants to reconnect with the show that started it all for her.

The big question for Sparks was, what would be her judging style? When asked if she would be a mean judge, the genuinely delightful Sparks replied, “No, no, you can’t even ask that, you know I’m not gonna be mean,” and laughing with the TMZ reporter.

She then added, “But I will be honest, because no one gets helped if you don’t tell [them] the truth. So, I would be honest but I would be kind.”

Honesty has been something American Idol fans have been looking for more of on recent seasons, as some feel like the judges aren’t being harsh enough. Gone are the days of Simon Cowell’s overly critical, hard-to-please demeanor, but fans are apparently getting tired of over-the-top niceness. Some feel that a little more constructive criticism would go a long way for the singers who come through the show, and it sounds like Jordin Sparks would provide that much-needed honest perspective.