Katy Perry has been mermaid the butt of jokes, after her astonishing flop backwards on American Idol went viral online, sparking a meme outcry.

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As part of a cross-promotion with Disney, American Idol had a Disney Night which of course led to Katy Perry cosplaying Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Complete with fins, seashell bikini, and red hair, she took an unfortunate splash out of nowhere.

Perry had to be helped onto the stage, with judges Lionel Ritchie and Luke Bryan hoisting her into her judge’s chair alongside host Ryan Seacrest. However, her upright status didn’t last much longer. Whilst off-camera as Seacrest began an intro, the tumble is audible alongside a series of gasps.

Falling out of the chair, Ritchie and Bryan immediately go to help her up as Perry laughs off the fall in a jovial manner. After making her way back into her chair, chants can be heard from the audience of “Katy”, with cheers for the singer covering up the gaff.

Perry later tweeted the clip, with her referencing The Little Mermaid song Part Of Your World’s lyrics “flippin’ your fins you don’t get too far”.

Flippin’ your fins you don’t get too far 🧜🏻‍♀️😅 #americanidol

— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) May 2, 2022

It’s not the first time Perry has made herself news while hosting American Idol, with a recent wardrobe malfunction fresh in the mind of viewers. As with the ripped pants though, Perry was able to let the show go on, as all things must.

Perry has been hosting American Idol since 2018, and while she’s wore the Ariel costume, she isn’t set to star in the upcoming live-action adaptation of the classic. Halle Bailey will star as Ariel in the 2023 film.