Jennifer Hudson returns to ‘American Idol’ as a mentor, guest judge

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Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Luke Bryan on ‘American Idol’ for Disney Night. (Eric Mccandless/Disney)

Jennifer Hudson returned to American Idol more than two decades after she competed on the show.

The talk show host and EGOT winner joined her American Idol family Monday night as a mentor and guest judge. Hudson took a seat at the judges table alongside hosts Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and fellow Idol alum Carrie Underwood for this week’s Disney night.

Hudson told ABC News that coming back to the show as a guest judge and mentor felt like a “dream come true.”

“I got to call myself a judge today,” she continued. “I don’t take anything lightly and I celebrate everything. It’s a celebration to be able to come back in my circle of life and be in the judging panel.”

“As soon as I walked in and I saw the ‘American Idol’ sign, I felt like a contestant all over again,” she said. “That feeling never leaves you. So my heart always goes out to the finalists.”

As a guest judge, Hudson brought a surplus of shoes to compliment singers.

After finalist Keyla Richardson’s performance of “Circle of Life,” Hudson threw a shoe on stage at the 29-year-old and told her that the song, which she also sang in 2004 when she competed on the show, serves as a “full circle of my life.”

While Hudson didn’t win American Idol in 2004 (she placed seventh), she went on to become an Emmy-nominated talk show host, Oscar winner and more. In 2022, Hudson achieved EGOT status when she won a Tony Award for her work as a producer on the Broadway show A Strange Loop.

Following Monday night’s show, the contestants that remain are Richardson, Jordan McCullough, Brooks Rosser, Chris Tungseth, Hannah Harper, Braden Rumfelt and Daniel Stallworth.

Next week, the top seven finalists will take the stage to perform Taylor Swift songs, and Nikki Glaser will be a guest judge.

The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News.