A former 'American Idol' contestant revealed that the judges have 'butt fans' under their seats because it's so hot on set

• Former "American Idol" contestant Catie Turner shared behind-the-scenes secrets with Insider.
• She revealed judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan have "butt fans" under their seats.

From the wild auditions to the shock eliminations, the drama is always hot on "American Idol."

But former contestant Catie Turner told Insider that there's something keeping the judges cool during filming — something that viewers can't see.

Butt fans. Yes, you read that right — fans for their posteriors, their bottoms, their derrieres.

"They have butt fans, that was a thing, cause it was hot," Turner said while speaking to Insider on the iHeartRadio Music Awards red carpet in Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday.

"That was the coolest thing," she added. "That's a level of stardom that I hope to reach someday."

Turner also revealed her favorite behind-the-scenes memory with host Ryan Seacrest.

"I remember just like, harassing Ryan Seacrest about Fifth Harmony because I knew all their choreography," Turner said, referring to the popular girl group who frequently appear on Seacrest's radio show.

"So I was just bombarding him while he was doing his job like, 'How do they smell? What are they like?'" Turner recalled with a laugh.

Turner appeared on the 16th season of "American Idol" in 2018, wowing judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan with her original song "21st Century Machine." Perry called Turner a "spectacular songwriter," while Bryan said she was "brilliant beyond your years."

Turner placed in the top seven of the show. She has since signed with Atlantic Records and her song "God Must Hate Me" recently went viral on TikTok.

The 22-year-old told Insider that she had "major imposter syndrome" as she walked the red carpet of the iHeartRadio Music Awards.

"Kind of confused how I got here," Turner said. "I feel like I'm just winging it, but it's great."

"It feels very surreal," she added. "I just know I feel extremely lucky that people gravitated towards me, and it does not go unnoticed every day that people stuck around and gave my music a chance."