Jelly Roll brought the house down with Jamal Roberts just an hour before the American Idol contestant was named the winner of Season 23.
The country star, who acted as the artist-in-residence for this season of the ABC singing competition, duetted with Roberts during Sunday’s finale to his hit songs “Liar” and “Unpretty,” both of which were featured on his 2024 album Beautifully Broken.
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Jelly Roll then playfully bowed down to Roberts, whom he had coached throughout the season, before the elementary school gym teacher from Mississippi went on to be named the Season 23 winner.
The other two Idol finalists, Breanna Nix and John Foster, also performed with special guests. Nix sang “Daddy’s DNA” with Brandon Lake as Foster duetted with Luke Bryan during a performance of “Deeper Than the Holler.” Other celebrity performances during the Season 23 finale included Patti LaBelle, Salt-N-Pepa and Jessica Simpson.
At the end of the finale, Roberts secured the win after performances of “First Time”(by TEEKS, “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)” by The Temptations and “Heal” by Tom Odell.
Roberts’ Season 23 audition may have caught the attention of judges Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood, but it wasn’t his first time trying to make it on American Idol. The singer told Billboard in April that he actually had auditioned for the show twice before. “I didn’t get defeated. I never gave up,” he said at the time. “I took the no. I’ve always been able to take constructive criticism and use it for my gain and try again. This has always been me.”
He went on to share advice he had received from Richie earlier in the season. “He said, ‘When you are on stage and get to doing what you’re doing, you’re exploding. I hate to see you leave.’ That stuck with me. It means I’m doing something right,” Roberts recalled. “I’ve learned to stay true to yourself. Don’t second-guess yourself. Oh man, second-guessing can cause a lot of stress. Go with your first mind. Anything that you do, do your best.”
American Idol is set to return for Season 24 on ABC.
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“Reverse the Curse” – Back from tribal, tensions rise following the exit of a particularly historic player. The final five immunity challenge ends in a showdown and features one of the closest finishes the show has ever seen. Jeff reveals the outcomes of the remaining in-game fan votes and how they impact the final stage of the competition. Then, one castaway will be crowned Sole Survivor and awarded the $2 million prize, during the three-hour live season finale, on SURVIVOR 50, Wednesday, May 20 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. Jeff Probst serves as host and executive producer. Pictured: Aubry Bracco Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
