Actress Jackie Tohn, who currently appears on the Netflix series Nobody Wants This, recently recalled her experience competing on American Idol. Tohn made it to the Top 36 on Season 8 of the singing competition show.
Jackie Tohn Recalls Her Time on American Idol
Actress Jackie Tohn recently appeared on the Chicks in the Office podcast, during which she discussed her time competing on Season 8 of American Idol. She pointed out that she was one of the oldest contestants in the competition, at 28.
Tohn called the show a “wild” experience, saying her choice to audition as a career musician “bit me in the ass, because nobody votes for a person whose career is already music.” She joked that people would marvel, “You didn’t quit your job at a bank in Tuscaloosa? You’re already living a life in the arts?”
Tohn was part of the Top 36, which the show had never done before or since. She called it “a sh*t show,” as eliminated contestants were beholden to the show for a year. She said that “American Idol owns you” as a contestant, with the show telling them not to put out music.
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Tohn Broke the Show’s Rules After Elimination
After Tohn’s agent “jumped ship on me,” she decided to go on tour following her elimination, which was “literally against the rules.” She said she did “every single thing you are explicitly not allowed to do.” Tohn explained that with her elimination having just aired, she only had a short amount of time to capitalize on the exposure.
Tohn said she contacted a college touring agent who sent her press kits to colleges. As she said, “People were like, ‘Oh cool, this person from American Idol…’ and I got all these gigs. And it kept me afloat.”
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