American Idol Season 20 will return on Monday night with a special 20th anniversary episode called “The Great Idol Reunion.” Former judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson will appear, as well as several past winners and contestants. The show shared the lineup on Instagram.
Past ‘American Idol’ Contestants Return for 20th Anniversary
The show shared photos of the returning contestants, including past winners Jordin Sparks and Ruben Studdard. In another photo, winners Kris Allen and David Cook pose together. Season 19 contestants Willie Spence and Grace Kinstler will also appear.
Season 16 winner and runner-up Maddie Poppe and Caleb Lee Hutchinson also posed together. (They also happen to be a couple.) Season 18 star Laci Kaye Booth will appear, along with runners-up David Archuleta and Lauren Alaina, and winner Scotty McCreery.
According to another post from Idol, the episode will feature duets from Jordin and Ruben, Kris and David Cook, Willie and Grace, Maddie and Caleb, and Lauren and Scotty.
One star who is noticeably absent from the show’s post is Season 17 winner Laine Hardy. He was originally announced as part of Monday’s lineup, but has recently been the focus of a police investigation and was arrested Friday for allegedly spying on a female LSU student.
During Sunday’s Disney Night, the Top 10 was narrowed down to the Top 7 for Season 20. Leah Marlene, Jay, Noah Thompson, Fritz Hager, HunterGirl, Nicolina, and Christian Guardino were revealed to still be in the competition.
The competition is winding down, with only a few weeks left. It looks like the Season 20 finale is planned for May 22, as former Disney Night mentor Ben Platt will take the stage during the final show before a winner is revealed.
Which returning contestant are you most excited to see during the 20th anniversary American Idol reunion episode? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to tune in Monday night on ABC.
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Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
