American Idol judge Katy Perry wasn’t sure what to make of Scarlett Lee at first.
The 26-year-old Surrey, England native showed up for her audition in a slinky red dress, outrageously high heels and a face full of makeup. Lee looked more like she was headed for a night in Soho than to the American Idol stage.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Are You From Love Island?”
“At first I was like… Are we being pranked here?” Perry told Lee, the 2018 “X-Factor” runner-up. “I don’t know if you’re from Love Island.”
But as soon as Lee sang the opening note of Emeli Sande’s “Clown,” Perry’s tune changed.
“I’m Taking You Seriously”
“Your personality is so big, so sometimes people don’t take you seriously,” Perry said. “So when you sing a song… you cut through all the layers… You become serious. So I’m taking you seriously.”
Lee’s husky vocals and dramatic flourishes also won over Perry’s fellow judges, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. The Brit broke down in tears as she learned she was going to Hollywood.
Featured image via @American Idol on YouTube / ABC Stream)
More Latest Music News & Stories
-
Cowboy Hat And Boots In Ghost Town. (Photo by Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) -
Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images -
Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images -
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 16: Chris Stapleton performs onstage during the 25th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 16, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association) -
Country singer Dolly Parton (C) with Wynonna (L) and Naomi Judd. (Photo by Robin Platzer/Getty Images) -
A woman uses a smartphone in front of a laptop on April 3, 2019, in Abidjan. – According to the figures of the platform of the fight against cybercrime (PLCC) of the national police, nearly one hundred crooks of the internet, were arrested in 2018 in Ivory Coast, a country known for its scammers on the web, has announced on April 2, 2019 the Ivorian authority of regulation of the telephony. (Photo by ISSOUF SANOGO / AFP) (Photo by ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images) -
IMOLA, ITALY – 2015/07/09: Angus Young of AC/DC performs live at Autodromo Internazionale "Enzo e Dino Ferrari" in Imola. AC/DC are an Australian hard rock band, formed in November 1973. (Photo by Francesco Castaldo/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
