American Idol Secrets Printed: Contestant Paychecks, Residing Preparations and Extra
As American Idol's 23rd season continues and judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan make some sturdy selections, peek what previous contestants maintain said about competing on the prevailing.
There are singers, then there are idols…after which there are questions about what it’s favor to be a singer on American Idol.
For greater than Two decades, the ABC opponents assortment has helped originate artists into stardom, including Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Fantasia Barrino, Katharine McPhee, Jordin Sparks, one of the fundamental modern champion Abi Carter and more.
And there’s one thing about the prevailing that continues to hit a high order with viewers.
“It is a relied on model,” govt producer Megan Michaels Wolflick told GoldDerby in June. “I abolish feel take care of it is a long way, in my mind, the NFL of singing shows as a long way as you arrive to us since you have faith in the formula. It's a present about the finalists. It's now not a present about celebrities. It's a present about the Cinderella fable.”
Now in its 23rd season, more contestants are hoping to live out their fairy memoir. After getting their golden—or in some uncommon cases platinum—tickets from judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Carrie, the opponents are continuing on with Hollywood Week.
“Now we’re off to the #americanidol enviornment,” host Ryan Seacrest wrote on Instagram March 31, “the keep apart things safe precise.”
But maintain you ever wondered what it’s truly favor to be on American Idol? Love, what’s the audition direction of take care of, abolish contestants safe paid, abolish opponents below 18 need to lunge to school whereas they’re on the prevailing and what occurs when a singer will get eradicated from the assortment?
To safe answers to these questions and more from musicians who’ve been on the prevailing, preserve reading.
Attain American Idol Contestants Safe Paid for Being on the Indicate?
“You don’t safe paid till you are making it to the live rounds,” Margie Mays, who competed on seasons 17 and 18 of American Idol, shared in a 2020 TikTok, “after which you are going to be in a position to also be paid.”
The singer noted she did safe paid to seem in American Idol commercials and to arrive for a finale performance after she used to be eradicated.
“When they take you to places take care of Hawaii, obviously, they pay for that after which there’s things take care of a per diem for, take care of, eating whereas you’re in Hawaii,” she added. “But they’re now not paying you to be a contestant. That’s the sacrifice you are making to assessment out to salvage.”
But whenever you happen to abolish salvage, there is a substantial prize.
“You abolish safe $250,000, nonetheless now not truly attributable to taxes,” season 16 champion Maddie Poppe told Industry Insider in 2022. “And in addition you safe half of it forward of you complete your document, after which the 2d half you safe after you complete the document. So it's correct take care of an arrive from the document deal, nonetheless I'm beautiful obvious I truly need to recoup it.”
Attain American Idol Contestants Audition for the First Time in Front of the Judges?
Nope.
Of direction, season seven winner David Cook told Industry Insider his audition in front of then-judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson used to be his fifth round.
There are a preference of how to audition for producers, including via originate calls, live digital auditions and social media. Then yet once more, American Idol's pointers negate that singers who safe a callback all via the audition direction of need to prepare their very indulge in shuttle.
“Even as you safe to Hollywood Week, they build you up [and] veil flights and all that,” David persisted, “nonetheless yeah, for town auditions section, you're for your indulge in pocket.”
Attain American Idol Contestants Must Pay Their Win Technique to Hollywood?
You're going to Hollywood…now what?
After contestants safe their golden trace from the judges—who at the moment embody Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan—they need to shuttle out to California for the nail-biting Hollywood Week. But does the prevailing veil these shuttle expenses?
“Sure, they’ll wing you to Hollywood Week whenever you happen to will need to take a flight,” Margie persisted in a 2020 TikTok. “They pay for that, they e-book for that. Awesome. They'll safe you from the airport to the resort. Hotel is paid for. Meals are offered.”
As she clarified, “They're now not paying you money, nonetheless they’re paying for your expenses.”
Attain American Idol Contestants Must Pay for Their Win Clothes?
In phrases of choosing out their outfits, contestants are a solo act in the early rounds of the opponents.
“It is seemingly you will most likely perhaps perhaps likely also very smartly be liable for dressing yourself,” Margie said in a 2020 TikTok, later including, “Then yet once more, whenever you happen to are making it to the live rounds, which is in total High 14 and above, they abolish costume you. There’ll most likely be stylists, hair, makeup, the full shebang 'purpose they truly desire you to head from taking a inquire of take care of [an] on a normal foundation person to a huge name and to in point of fact change into from the beginning of the prevailing to the discontinue.”
Stylists need to work with a funds, although. And motivate in 2013, frail costume dressmaker Soyon An told The Hollywood Reporter contestants were dispensed $400 an episode for their wardrobe.
“They're rising an image, their model,” she added. “So if the costume goes over $400, the contestants need to make a dedication whether or now not or now not to aquire it themselves in the occasion that they truly desire to keep apart on it.”
What Happens After an American Idol Contestant Gets Eliminated From the Indicate?
After host Ryan Seacrest finds the outcomes and singers are eradicated from the opponents, it's time for them to pack their bags.
“For Hollywood Week, you in total safe sent home as soon as they might be able to e-book you on a flight,” Margie said in a 2021 TikTok video. “So, you are going to literally leave the theater and lunge to a separate resort after which they build you on a flight and leave lawful away.”
As for later in the opponents?
“For Hawaii, you don't leave the the same day,” she added. “Everyone flies motivate to L.A. on the the same airplane, whether or now not they made it to the High 20 or didn't. And then must you live in the residences and you're doing concerts, whenever you happen to safe lower between take care of 20 and 10, I have you likely leave swiftly after. But whenever you happen to're in the High 10 and you safe lower, you very likely will discontinuance in the residences till the finale because they're gonna bring you motivate for the finale and you're gonna assemble in the finale.”
Attain American Idol Contestants Below 18 Easy Must Inch to College?
You needs to be no lower than 15 years frail to compete on American Idol, so about a of the singers are quiet conserving up with their experiences.
“We needed to maintain school on negate and all that stuff,” Danielle Finn, who used to be 17 years frail when she made the High 24 on season 20, outlined to season 14 runner-up Clark Beckham in 2022. “And we couldn't movie greater than 10 hours a day. So if we ever went over, we would be kept to the aspect. Or, if we ever had free time? 'Oh, you gotta lunge to school.'”
Victoria Johnson, who used to be 16 when she made it to the Showstopper round on season 22, had a the same skills.
Though she used to be on spring fracture all via Hollywood Week, bececause she used to be a minor, “they’d me abolish the compulsory school hours,” she told University Press in 2024. “I correct did puzzles the full time because I didn’t maintain any schoolwork to abolish….I’m taking all my classes on-line this semester attributable to Idol, because I was going motivate and forth with filming.”
Where Attain American Idol Contestants Are living All the scheme via the Indicate?
Over the years, American Idol contestants maintain lived in residences, hotels and even mansions. The astronomical home on season eight, for occasion, had a basketball court docket, bowling alley, cinema room moreover indoor and originate air swimming pools.
“The mansion used to be sooo awesome,” contestant Lil Rounds wrote in a February 2024 Instagram put up whereas taking a inquire of motivate at her season 15 years prior, “nonetheless we now not regularly had any sleep.”
On the 2d, contestants appear to discontinuance in hotels. Of direction, season 22 winner Abi Carter and top seven finalist Julia Gagnon were roommates.
What Attain American Idol Contestants Attain When They're No longer Performing on the Indicate?
They discontinuance relatively busy.
Season two winner Ruben Studdard remembered how packed his schedule used to be with song choice, preparation, vocal instructing, and filming for existing packages and commercials.
“Thursday we bought the songs,” he recalled on a 2023 interview with West Byrd. “Friday we selected the songs. Friday-Saturday we taped commercials. Sunday we made closing picks. Then Sunday night-Monday night we went to the studio to make obvious every thing used to be lawful for the note. And then Tuesday morning we would abolish a dry bolt of the prevailing, take care of top to bottom. So must you peek the equipment when other folks are take care of, 'It is seemingly you will most likely perhaps perhaps likely also just quiet vote for X, Y, Z' that's already been taped Tuesday morning.”
Then, for sure, there's the actual existing. “Wednesday is the elimination, after which it starts all via,” Ruben added. “And it will get even more difficult when the neighborhood will get smaller for the reason that work is the the same.”
Jena Irene Asciutto has shared a the same sentiment.
“As the weeks went on and other folks were eradicated, the opposite folks left were liable for filling that episode of time,” the season 13 runner-up told Industry Insider. “So we were wished for more things. And I have at take care of top eight used to be once we began doing Ford commercials every Sunday.”
Source credit : eonline.com
