SOMETIMES, a loss can turn into a win, as contestants from Jennifer Hudson to Katharine McPhee have found more fame after being eliminated from American Idol.
That’s what happened to these former American Idol contestants – all eliminated during their respective seasons.
Jennifer Hudson competes on stage during a taping of American Idol Season 3Credit: Getty
Jennifer (back row, middle) finished runner-up on her season in 2004Credit: Getty
Adam Lambert performs live at American Idol on March 10, 2009Credit: Getty
But leaving Idol does not mean your career is over. In fact, sometimes it could be the best thing to happen.
That was the case for eventual EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson.
The 42-year-old shockingly came in seventh when she appeared on the third season of American Idol in 2004.
Since then, she’s only gone on to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award.
In 2005, Jennifer kicked off her acting career as Effie White in the film adaptation of Dreamgirls, for which she would eventually win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
She went on to win an Emmy award for the series Baba Yaga, and a Grammy for her self-titled album and The Color Purple soundtrack.
In 2022, Jennifer became the 17th EGOT winner when took home a Tony as a producer of 2022 Best Musical winner A Strange Loop.
Currently, Jennifer is the host of the talk show, The Jennifer Hudson Show.
But Jen’s not the only loser to eventually win big.
ADAM LAMBERT
There’s nothing sheepish about Adam Lambert’s success.
After finishing the eighth season as the runner-up, the 42-year-old refused to give up.
His debut album, For Your Entertainment, came in at number three on the US Billboard 200 when it was released in 2009.
Adam went on to have a lucrative solo career, before finding a whole new audience as the lead singer for the rock band, Queen.
He also has squashed his acting bug by starring in five episodes of Glee, and as Eddie in the TV movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again.
KATHARINE MCPHEE
Katharine McPhee performs I’ve Had the Time of My Life on American IdolCredit: Getty
After finishing runner-up to Taylor Hicks in the fifth season, Katharine McPhee became a television star and Broadway breakout.
But her biggest win was falling in love.
Smaller roles in movies like The House Bunny led to her headlining the prime-time music show Smash in 2011.
And though it wasn’t a smash hit, lasting only two seasons, Katharine, 40, would go on to star in the CBS Show, Scorpion.
In 2019, love stung Katharine when she married Canadian music producer David Foster.
Katharine and David, 74, welcomed a baby boy into the world in February 2021.
CHRIS DAUGHTRY
Chris Daughtry performs on American IdolCredit: Getty
Chris Daughtry, 44, went home just a few weeks before Katharine, finishing fourth in the fifth season.
But who needs Idol when you can find bigger success on your own – especially under your own name.
Daughtry released their self-titled album in 2006 and sold over six million copies in the United States alone.
They have since released six albums, with their most recent in 2021.
The band received a Grammy nomination for their song, It’s Not Over, at the 50th award show.
In March, they released a new single, titled Pieces, and are working on their next album.
KELLIE PICKLER
Kellie Pickler auditions for American IdolCredit: Getty
Audiences did not sour on Kellie Pickler after she finished sixth in the fifth season.
The 37-year-old country singer released her debut album, Small Town Girl, in 2006, which later went gold.
She would go on to release three more albums, with her latest being in 2013.
But her biggest victory came on a different reality show.
Kellie took home the coveted Mirror Ball trophy in 2013 on Dancing with the Stars.
She’s currently a DJ on SiriusXM.
CLAY AIKEN
Clay Aiken practices before the show’s grand finale on May 21, 2003Credit: Getty
Clay Aiken was on American Idol way back on the second season in 2003.
He came in second to first-place winner Ruben Studdard, but it might as well have been a tie, as the two teamed up soon after and often still perform together – including as a duet on The Masked Singer.
After Idol, Clay, 45, branched out into TV, theater, and politics.
He has released six studio albums and has numerous acting credits.
In addition to his career in entertainment, Aiken has twice run for office in North Carolina.
LAUREN ALAINA
Lauren Alaina performs onstage during the finale results show in 2011Credit: Getty
Lauren Alaina was the American Idol Season 10 runner-up to Scotty McCreery in 2011.
The country singer would win the New Artist of the Year Award at the American Country Awards a year later.
She followed that up with the CMT Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year in 2017, for Road Less Traveled.
But her biggest honor came in 2022, when the country music star became the youngest member of the Grand Ole Opry.
And she was inducted by her childhood hero, Trisha Yearwood.
Who are the past American Idol winners?
The previous American Idol winners include:
Kelly Clarkson (2002)
Ruben Studdard (2003)
Fantasia Barrino (2004)
Carrie Underwood (2005)
Taylor Hicks (2006)
Jordin Sparks (2007)
David Cook (2008)
Kris Allen (2009)
Lee DeWyze (2010)
Scotty McCreery (2011)
Phillip Phillips (2012)
Candice Glover (2013)
Caleb Johnson (2014)
Nick Fradiani (2015)
Trent Harmon (2016)
Maddie Poppe (2018)
Laine Hardy (2019)
Just Sam (2020)
Chayce Beckham (2021)
Noah Thompson (2022)
Iam Tongi (2023)
