Katy Perry Fell on Purpose During ‘I Kissed a Girl’ on Her 2011 Tour
Pop superstar Katy Perry seems to have fun keeping her fans on their toes. The uber-famous singer and American Idol judge is known for electrifying performances. But she also likes to shake things up with her own quirky twists—like falling on purpose for the camera’s benefit. From going down multiple times on tour singing “I Kissed a Girl” to rolling around on the ground for awestruck firefighters, Perry has proven she’s as much of a class clown as a world-class performer.
Katy Perry has fallen a bunch of times during ‘I Kissed a Girl’
Katy Perry had just broken out as a bona fide star in 2008. She performed at the MTV Music Awards that year. Amid loud cheers, Perry wrapped up “I Kissed a Girl” by diving face-first into a giant cake, playfully chucking cake into the crowd, and then flopping to the ground as she attempted to leave the stage. Footage is scarce. But Dailymotion has a video that shows her playing to the amped-up crowd as she slips and falls multiple times.
By the time she put together her worldwide 2011 California Dreams Tour, Perry had emerged as one of pop music’s biggest stars. She also seemed to remember some of the crowd-pleasing antics she tapped initially. On stage for her first 2011 stop in London, Perry appears to go down again right at the ending of “I Kissed a Girl,” as captured by a fan video. A crewmember quickly helps her off as she says “sorry” to the crowd.
Perry was at it again a few months later in Nashville. Only this fall seemed a little better choreographed. This time, with a higher quality fan video, we see Perry set up the fall right at the end of “I Kissed a Girl” and is immediately carried off by a stagehand. Notably, the backup musicians and dancers in both videos simply carry on, and Perry emerged for more than a dozen more songs (per Setlist). Though some fans seemed to buy the act, others claim in the video comments that she fell at the same time at multiple other tour stops.
Perry’s ‘American Idol’ incident left firefighters gushing
While the grainy 2011 tour videos are limited, we got a better glimpse into the “Daisies” singer’s antics on the set of American Idol in 2020. When there was a legitimate gas leak on location, everyone was told to leave the building, and the fire department was called in. The next thing we know, Perry is on the ground after seeming to collapse.
But ET Canada commentators weren’t exactly buying it. Though ABC carefully edited some of the footage, ET’s Graeme O’Neill notes that other video shows Perry smiling and texting at the foot of medics and firefighters. “Katy does this sort of stuff,” said O’Neill, “like playing it up for the cameras.” Perry even shared footage through her Instagram and rolled it into a promotion of the show.
In reality, the firefighters quickly resolved the minor issue and declared the situation not dangerous. But the firefighters also got a once-in-a-lifetime experience they aren’t likely to forget anytime soon. “Chuck saved Katy Perry’s life,” a firefighter joked to the camera, referring to the head firefighter on sight. “Pretty big deal.” Perry even launched herself into Chuck’s arms soon after she was pulled up from the ground, dramatically declaring, “You saved me!”.
Perry fell again on ‘American Idol’ in 2022
Just in case we weren’t quite in on the joke yet, the singer went back to her bag of tricks earlier this year on the set of American Idol. This time Perry was dressed in a full Ariel costume from Disney’s classic The Little Mermaid. Host Ryan Seacrest was just getting started when we heard a crash. Suddenly Perry’s mermaid flipper is in the air, and judge Luke Bryan is cackling with laughter.
Although Seacrest appeared a little shocked and worried, the audience quickly understood the gag. As Seacrest, Bryan, and Lionel Richie pluck Perry off the ground, the audience erupts into loud chants of “Katy! Katy!”
Aside from American Idol, Perry is busy balancing life as a new mom alongside her music career. Perry recently collaborated on songs with Alesso and Zedd and is also just settling into her residency in Las Vegas. The show was called a “giant singalong” by Rolling Stone and is built around an immersive audience experience. The nickname given to the show by Perry herself: “Perry Playground.”
It’s impossible to know just when Perry will go off-script next. But it’s safe to say she’s not finished with her loveable playground antics anytime soon.
