American Idol facts for kids
Quick facts for kids American Idol |
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| Genre | Reality television |
| Created by | Simon Fuller |
| Directed by | Andrew Scheer (2002) Bruce Gowers (2003–06, 2008) Gregg Gelfand (2007, 2011-12) Ken Warwick (2007, 2011-12) Bill DeRonde (2009, 2014–15) John Pritchett (2006–2008, 2010) Gregg Gelfand (2010, 2013) Louis J. Horvitz (2014) Phil Heyes (2015–16, 2018-) Ben Thursby (2018) |
| Presented by | Ryan Seacrest Brian Dunkleman (2002) |
| Starring | Simon Cowell (2002-2010) Paula Abdul (2002–2009) Randy Jackson (2002-2013) Kara DioGuardi (2009–2010) Ellen DeGeneres (2010) Jennifer Lopez (2011-12, 2014-16) Steven Tyler (2011-12) Mariah Carey (2013) Nicki Minaj (2013) Keith Urban (2013-16) Harry Connick, Jr. (2014-16) Katy Perry (2018-) Luke Bryan (2018-) Lionel Richie (2018-) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 609 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Simon Fuller (2002–) Cecile Frot-Coutaz (2002–) |
| Running time | 22-104 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fox (2002-16) ABC (2018-) |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) (2002-2004) 720p (HDTV) (2005-present) |
| Original release | June 11, 2002 – present |
American Idol is a super popular American TV show where people compete to become the next big singing star! It's a "reality" show, which means it follows real people as they try to win.
The show was created by Simon Fuller. It first started on the Fox TV channel on June 11, 2002. It ran there until 2016. Then, in 2018, it moved to the ABC channel and is still on TV today! American Idol is one of the most successful shows ever in American television.
Here's how it works: Singers try out, and judges pick the best ones. As the show goes on, viewers at home get to vote for their favorite singers by calling or texting. The singer with the fewest votes leaves the show. This keeps happening until only one person is left, and they become the American Idol winner! Singers must be between 15 and 29 years old to join the competition.
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Meet the Judges and Host
American Idol has a panel of judges who watch the performances and give their opinions. They help decide who moves on in the early rounds.
Who are the Judges?
Over the years, many famous people have been judges on American Idol. Here are some of them:
- Simon Cowell (Seasons 1-9)
- Randy Jackson (Seasons 1-12)
- Paula Abdul (Seasons 1-8)
- Jennifer Lopez (Seasons 10-11, 13-15)
- Steven Tyler (Seasons 10-11)
- Mariah Carey (Season 12)
- Keith Urban (Seasons 12-15)
- Katy Perry (Season 16-present)
- Luke Bryan (Season 16-present)
- Lionel Richie (Season 16-present)
Who is the Host?
The host of American Idol guides the show, introduces the singers, and announces the results.
- Ryan Seacrest has been the main host for almost the entire show.
- Brian Dunkleman co-hosted with Ryan Seacrest for the very first season.
Past Winners of American Idol
Winning American Idol can change a singer's life! Many winners have become huge music stars. Here are the winners from each season:
- Season 1 (2002): Kelly Clarkson
- Season 2 (2003): Ruben Studdard
- Season 3 (2004): Fantasia Barrino
- Season 4 (2005): Carrie Underwood
- Season 5 (2006): Taylor Hicks
- Season 6 (2007): Jordin Sparks
- Season 7 (2008): David Cook
- Season 8 (2009): Kris Allen
- Season 9 (2010): Lee DeWyze
- Season 10 (2011): Scotty McCreery
- Season 11 (2012): Phillip Phillips
- Season 12 (2013): Candice Glover
- Season 13 (2014): Caleb Johnson
- Season 14 (2015): Nick Fradiani
- Season 15 (2016): Trent Harmon
- Season 16 (2018): Maddie Poppe
- Season 17 (2019): Laine Hardy
- Season 18 (2020): Just Sam
Runners-Up: Almost the Winner!
The runner-up is the person who comes in second place. They often become famous too!
- Season 1 (2002): Justin Guarini
- Season 2 (2003): Clay Aiken
- Season 3 (2004): Diana DeGarmo
- Season 4 (2005): Bo Bice
- Season 5 (2006): Katharine McPhee
- Season 6 (2007): Blake Lewis
- Season 7 (2008): David Archuleta
- Season 8 (2009): Adam Lambert
- Season 9 (2010): Crystal Bowersox
- Season 10 (2011): Lauren Alaina
- Season 11 (2012): Jessica Sanchez
- Season 12 (2013): Kree Harrison
- Season 13 (2014): Jena Irene
- Season 14 (2015): Clark Beckham
- Season 15 (2016): La'Porsha Renae
- Season 16 (2018): Caleb Lee Hutchinson
- Season 17 (2019): Alejandro Aranda
- Season 18 (2020): Arthur Gunn
Third Place Singers
These contestants made it to the top three!
- Season 1 (2002): Nikki McKibbin
- Season 2 (2003): Kimberley Locke
- Season 3 (2004): Jasmine Trias
- Season 4 (2005): Vonzell Solomon
- Season 5 (2006): Elliott Yamin
- Season 6 (2007): Melinda Doolittle
- Season 7 (2008): Syesha Mercado
- Season 8 (2009): Danny Gokey
- Season 9 (2010): Casey James
- Season 10 (2011): Haley Reinhart
- Season 11 (2012): Joshua Ledet
- Season 12 (2013): Angie Miller
- Season 13 (2014): Alex Preston
- Season 14 (2015): Jax
- Season 15 (2016): Dalton Rapattoni
- Season 16 (2018): Gabby Barrett
- Season 17 (2019): Madison VanDenburg
- Season 18 (2020): Dillon James
Other Famous Contestants
Some singers who didn't win or make it to the very end still became very well-known!
Images for kids
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Brian Dunkleman co-hosted with Seacrest for the first season.
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Kelly Clarkson, the first season winner
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Ruben Studdard, the second season winner
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Fantasia Barrino, the third season winner
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Carrie Underwood, the fourth season winner
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Taylor Hicks, the fifth season winner
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Jordin Sparks, the sixth season winner
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David Cook, the seventh season winner
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Kris Allen, the eighth season winner
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Lee DeWyze, the ninth season winner
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Scotty McCreery, the tenth season winner
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Phillip Phillips, the eleventh season winner
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Candice Glover, the twelfth season winner
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Caleb Johnson, the thirteenth season winner
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Nick Fradiani, the fourteenth season winner
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Maddie Poppe, the sixteenth season winner
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Laine Hardy, the seventeenth season winner
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The American Idol Experience marquee sign
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Tenth season American Idol tour, Scotty McCreery performing with Thia Megia, Haley Reinhart and Pia Toscano
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See also
In Spanish: American Idol para niños
