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Superstar singer Jennifer Hudson will return to her AMERICAN IDOL roots this season when she returns as a guest judge and mentor for the show’s upcoming Disney Night episode, scheduled to air April 20, 2026 on .
The announcement was made during the April 13 broadcast of the long-running competition series. Hudson will join judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood as the Top 9 contestants prepare to perform Disney songs live for audience votes and advancement to the Top 7.
Hudson, who first rose to prominence as a finalist on the show’s third season in 2004, will mentor contestants for the first time. Her appearance marks her first return to American Idol in more than a decade, following a 2015 performance alongside Iggy Azalea.
Jennifer Hudson first rose to prominence on American Idol more than two decades ago and has since become an EGOT winner, joining a select group of artists who have earned Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards. Jennifer earned an Academy Award for her performance as Effie White in the film adaptation of Dreamgirls.
Her Broadway credits inlcude starring as Shug Avery in The Color Purple, and behind the scenes as a member of the producing team of the Tony-winning musical, A Strange Loop. Beyond the stage, she is the host of the daytime series The Jennifer Hudson Show and a recording arists.
