American Idol season 24, aired on January 26, 2026. The show began with many auditions, spanning from teens as young as 16, to adults at the cutoff age of 29. It quickly turned into something bigger than age, with the judges having to question if the contestants were ready for something big or not.
After auditions, the contestants who got their golden ticket traveled to Los Angeles, California for Hollywood Week. The judges were excited, however they had a rough road ahead of them, having to choose just 30 contestants from 127, then later from 30, narrowed it down to 24. Many fans were surprised at the contestants they chose to send home. Out of the 127, they chose to send home Mary Jo Young who made it through the top 30, but got sent home in the top 24, Roelle a fan favorite from Puerto Rico, an article from entertainmentNOW shares about her, “Her rendition of Chapelle Roan’s “California” didn’t impress the judges enough to send her through. After her Hollywood Week performance aired, she wrote a heartbreaking note in her Instagram Stories that said, ‘I’ve been singing my whole life. My Hollywood week presentation does not reflect that. I’m sorry to anyone I might have let down, especially myself.’” Trew the Star unfortunately also left, along with Mor, and Jayson Arendt. These are just a few of the many that had to leave to narrow it down to 30.
After Hollywood Week, came the Disney Aulani performances, which narrowed it down to the top 20, being, Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, Keyla Richardson, Braden Rumfelt, Chris Tungseth, Brooks Rosser, Daniel Stallworth, Kyndal Inskeep, Lucas Leon, Philmon Lee, Rae, Jesse Findling, Jake Thistle, Julian Kalel, Abayomi, Genevieve Heyward, Kutter Bradley, Madison Moon, Makiyah, and Ruby Rae. Many of these contestants made it far in the competition, and three of which are still competing to take it all home.
Jesse Findling, a contestant who made it into the top 12, when asked on the American Idol podcast when asked if he could say something to thank the fans that voted for him, who have been there since day one, shared, “Just thank you so much. This show, you know, it’s not just about singing. It’s a mental game. And having that support from my family, from my friends, and people who have messaged me and have found me through the show, that support is what gets me through. I’m just super grateful.”
This season of American idol has been one of the best so far. I can’t wait to see who will eventually take home the gold!
