The big American Idol finale is almost here — and judge Luke Bryan is putting his bets on one finalist: Jamal Roberts.
On Monday, May 12, Bryan shared his thoughts ahead of the May 18 finale, where Jamal Roberts, Breanne Nix, and John Foster will compete for the top prize. And Luke isn’t shy about who’s been on his radar all season.
“My gut has told me Jamal has… [been] a lead all year,” the 48-year-old country star told PEOPLE.
But even with Jamal in the lead, Luke knows it’s still anybody’s game.
“When you look at every time Breanna gets through, we’re like, ‘She keeps showing up and making it happen,’” he said. “And then John Foster just seems to be gaining momentum.”
Luke also warned that anything could change if the finalists lose focus — especially in the music world.
“Even if it’s something that Jamal’s kind of had the reins of, it could change with a little bit of not focus[ing],” he explained. “So they gotta be focused all the way to the end. The music business never is not like that. You’ve gotta focus every day.”
Judge Lionel Richie, 75, shared his own take. For him, winning isn’t just about singing well — it’s about connecting with fans.
“It’s an even playing field but it comes down to popularity,” the “Hello” singer said. “How many fans do they have that like them as people?”
And once the show is over, Lionel said the real work begins.
“Right now, singing cover songs is great. But when they have their own hit records, you start building their career. Right now, they’re falling in love with the artist.”
Carrie Underwood, who won American Idol in 2005, knows exactly what the finalists are going through. She had a few words of advice for the top 3.
“We’ve had a condensed season. It was a lot longer when I was on the show,” said Carrie, 42. “So they’re running to catch up the whole time.”
She added that life after Idol will move fast — and the finalists need to be ready.
“Everyone’s going to be on them,” she said. “This is kind of a taste of what the rest of their career is going to be like. We always call this star boot camp because you learn a lot really fast.”
Sadly, the journey ended for Slater Nalley and Thunderstorm Artis, who were eliminated from the competition on Monday night. That means the final three are officially locked in: Jamal, Breanne, and John.
Big Names Set to Perform at Finale
The American Idol finale is going to be a star-studded night! Guest performers will include:
- Brandon Lake
- Goo Goo Dolls
- Good Charlotte
- Jennifer Holliday
- Jessica Simpson
- Josh Groban
- Kirk Franklin
- Myles Smith
- Patti LaBelle
- Salt-N-Pepa
The judges — Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie — will also perform together. Plus, fan favorite Jelly Roll will take the stage.
The American Idol finale airs Sunday, May 18 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Will Jamal’s momentum carry him all the way? Or will America crown a surprise winner? Tune in to find out!
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