‘American Idol’ Icon Makes Unexpected Return to TV 20 Years Later

Bo Bice has made an unexpected return to TV two decades after his appearance on American Idol.

The singer, who was Carrie Underwood’s runner-up on Season 4 of American Idol, shocked fans when it was revealed he would be competing on Season 4 of The Floor, which premiered Wednesday.

Bice was introduced by The Floor host Rob Lowe at the start of the FOX game show’s episode as the representative for Tennessee in the Battle of the States with the category of “Car Racing.”

“I so remember you,” Lowe told Bice, joking of Idol‘s switch from FOX to ABC, “And that was when American Idol was American Idol. When it was on FOX.”

While Bice got a special introduction on Wednesday’s episode, he wasn’t selected to play in the premiere round, meaning he has advanced to the next episode automatically.

Bice last released an album, titled 3, in 2010, but has continued to perform and tour as a working musician. In 2025, he became the frontman of the Artimus Pyle Band, which pays tribute to Ronnie Van Zant’s Lynyrd Skynyrd, and is touring the U.S. in October and November.

Bice has also taken on a bit of acting following his Idol run, starring in a Florida production of Rock of Ages in 2023. The musician, who married wife Caroline Fisher in 2005, is also a father of four.

Bice isn’t the only reality TV legend appearing on Season 4 of The Floor. Iconic Survivor villain Jonny Fairplay is also competing for the win this season while representing the state of Oregon.

Fairplay was selected to play in the premiere episode, winning the “Stamps” category after an intense faceoff and earning two spots on the floor to advance to the next round.

The Floor, which is an American take on the Dutch game show of the same name, features 100 competitors in a massive trivia war held on a massive floor split into 100 squares. Contestants with specific areas of expertise then compete against each other to win more and more squares of the floor in a race for $250,000.

The theme of Season 4 is “American Duels,” and features contestants from across the U.S. competing in a “duel of the states.”

The Floor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.