Singer-Songwriter Jacquie Lee Auditions For American Idol 13 Years After Finishing As A Runner-Up On The Voice
Season 24 of American Idol has officially kicked off, but it’s already stirred up some controversy among longtime fans.
This season, Hollywood Week has been moved to Nashville, Tennessee, with judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan all back behind the panel to help find their next big star.
On Monday, February 2, the second episode of auditions aired, and viewers saw even more impressive talent walk into the audition room. One of those hopefuls was 28-year-old Jacquie Lee, who performed Nina Simone’s “I Put a Spell On You.”
Although Idol didn’t air her full performance, likely due to time, the show did share a short clip of Jacquie belting out the classic song.
In the snippet, all three judges are visibly amazed by her powerful voice. The video also confirms that she received enough “yes” votes from the judges and earned a Golden Ticket to Hollywood.
But wait! You may be thinking: “She looks familiar.”
Well, if you’re also a fan of The Voice, you may already know Jacquie.
She first auditioned on the show back in 2013 when she was just 16 years old. During her blind audition, she sang Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black. This caught the attention of former coach Christina Aguilera, who turned her chair and brought Jacquie onto her team.
Jacquie quickly became a fan favorite throughout the season and continued to wow the coaches week after week. She eventually made it all the way to the finale, where she finished in second place.
Viewers Have Mixed Feelings About Jacquie’s Involvement In The Show
Even though it’s been more than a decade since Jacquie last appeared on television, some Idol fans aren’t thrilled about her involvement on the show now.
The frustration isn’t actually about Jacquie herself, but rather that some fans are annoyed that American Idol is bringing in contestants who have already had their moment to shine.
“What is up with Idol recycling contestants from other shows?,” a viewer wrote in a Reddit thread.
If you’ve watched past seasons, you know this isn’t the first time a familiar face has appeared on the competition.
Season 23 contestant Thunderstorm Artis made it all the way to the show’s Top 5, and before his run on Idol, he had previously competed on Season 18 of The Voice.
More examples include Season 23 contestants Che Chesterman and Drew Ryn, both of whom competed on The X Factor prior.
On the other hand, some viewers don’t mind seeing familiar faces return.
Before her audition, Jacquie shared on Instagram that she’d be appearing on American Idol. Many people flooded the comments with excitement about seeing her perform on TV again.
“omg i loved u on the voice 😍 can’t wait,” a longtime fan wrote.
“I’m so excited you’re gonna be on the new season and i’ll be rooting for you!!! ❤️” said another.
“I’ve admire you since you participation on the voice, team Xtina. You’re such an incredible person and have a wonderful voice,” praised someone else.
American Idol airs on Mondays at 8/7c on ABC, or you can stream the next day on Hulu.