From Joe Jonas to Mary J Blige We Ranked the Best Guest Judges on ‘American Idol’
ABC/Eric McCandless Reading Time: 3 minutes
American Idol is gearing up to Kick off Season 20 in February. The many iterations of the hit show brought changing celebrity faces on the judging panel over the years. Viewers also witnessed many guest judges sit on the panel to give their expert opinions. Let’s take a look at some favorite guest judges of the past.
Paula Abdul
No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. The original American Idol judge returned in Season 19 to guest judge after Luke Bryan tested positive for Covid-19. The Crowd erupted with cheers when Ryan Seacrest announced Abdul as the night’s guest. Abdul wasted no time throwing fun shade at former host Simon Cowell.
“I feel like I am visiting a show visiting my little brother,” Abdul said to Seacrest. “On a show that we started with our other brother Randy and our grandfather Simon.”
Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne guest judged American Idol in 2010. The pop rock princess did not hold back throughout the auditions that were held in Los Angeles. She cuddled up to Cowell, often laughing hysterically whenever he would shatter a delusional contestant’s dreams. Her judging skills did come under fire when she said no to a contestant, not because he wasn’t good, but because he had a family and she wondered if he would be committed. Lavigne is hoping to make a music comeback after her intense battle with Lyme disease.
Victoria Beckham
Victoria Beckham was ready to spice up some hopeful singer’s life. She guest judged American Idol Season 9. Beckham holds the record as the only person to guest judge American Idol twice. During the Boston audition, the hope of finding the next big American Idol in the city was high. Because of Boston’s elite music scene. Unfortunately, the talent was few and in-between, leaving Beckham at a loss for words most of the time.
Mary J. Blige
The Queen of hip hop and soul, Mary J Blige, guest judged American Idol in 2010. Who could forget the memorable episode that saw a contestant perform his original song “Pants on the Ground”? These days, fans can watch the nine time Grammy award winner on the small screen, and just released her new single “Good Morning Gorgeous.”
Joe Jonas
Joe Jonas was already a bonafide star when he guest judged American Idol. What worked for Jonas as a judge was that he knew what it took to make it in the music industry. Many people thought the baby face Jonas would be too nice when giving feedback. Surprisingly, he was as honest as can be. Little did we know, Jonas would also be present when the world was introduced to Todrick Hall.
Jewel
Yes, the Queen of Hearts guest judged American Idol. Before The Masked Singer, Jewel was already a Grammy nominated artist who sold over 30 million albums worldwide. It was a perfect match for Jewel to help find the next Idol champion. On Idol, she tried to be pleasant, but the Idol of back in the day spared nobody from the disasters that would walk through the door. Recently, Jewel returned to the Idol stage to perform.
