Lionel Richie Jokes Katy Perry's 'American Idol' Exit Made Him 'Run Off the Road': 'My Phone Blew Up'

Katy Perry announced earlier this month that she would be stepping down as an American Idol judge after roughly six years.

Fellow Idol judge Lionel Richie revealed he was behind the wheel when he heard the surprising news during his Thursday night, February 15, appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

"I'm not mad. It just made me run off the road when I first heard about it,” he joked to the late-night host. "My phone blew up."

The "Hello" crooner also confessed that he had no idea the mother-of-one was planning on leaving the hit singing competition, but said the decision "made sense" to him.

"In other words: The reason I love coming on the show with you and the reason I’m doing American Idol is because I have 400 years of stories and a life in the music business. I have things that I’ve done," he explained. "And so when Katy says, ‘I want to go and create some stories,’ remember, she’s young."

"But the point is that you have to take some time and actually be an artist," he added.

Richie also teased who could possibly take Perry's spot in the judge's chair in the future, noting execs were being really "tight-lipped" about it but promised "it's gonna be really interesting."

"Only because, I’m telling you something, this is a great show," he continued. "And what I love most of all is that we’re artists, so we know what we’re talking about, and these kids are scared to death, so I love sitting there as the wise poo-bahs, the three of us, and we’re sitting there and we’re all kind of giving information that we know is real."

"So whoever’s coming on the show has got to be, well, to come past Katy, you’ve gotta be humorous forever, and, on top of that, knowledgeable," he said.

Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for!

As OK! previously reported, Perry confirmed on Monday, February 12, that this seasons would likely be her last for American Idol.

"I mean I love Idol so much. It’s connected me with the heart of America, but I feel like I need to go out and feel that pulse to my own beat, you what I’m saying?" she said at the time. "I love the show so much but I wanna go and see the world and maybe bring new music."