Paula Abdul Shares Key Insights with ‘American Idol’ Season 24’s Top 3 Finalists Before Grand Finale

In a delightful return to the American Idol stage, former judge Paula Abdul graced the show as a guest judge for the Top 5 finalists of season 24 on the May 4 episode. Now, she extends her wisdom to the Top 3 contenders: Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, and Keyla Richardson. As a key figure in the show’s early years, Paula sat alongside Randy Jackson, who mentored this season’s Top 5, and Simon Cowell from 2002 to 2009, during the first eight seasons. Together, they were instrumental in launching the careers of iconic artists like Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, and Adam Lambert.

The episode, marking a significant milestone, saw Paula reunited with judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan. It was a special night, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fifth season. The Top 5 contestants sang duets with past finalists, featuring Taylor Hicks with Keyla, Kellie Pickler with Hannah, Elliott Yamin with Jordan, Paris Bennett with Braden Rumfelt, and Bucky Covington with Chris Tungseth. Adding to the spectacle was a Dancing With The Stars crossover, with professional dancers Witney Carson, Gleb Savchenko, Rylee Arnold, and Jan Ravnik performing alongside the singers.

In a recent episode of the American Idol Official Podcast, shared on Instagram, Paula offered her guidance to the finalists as they gear up for the grand finale on May 11. When asked by host Danielle Fishel for her advice to the contestants, Paula emphasized the importance of self-awareness and growth. She encouraged them to, “Embrace the strengths that you have. Keep those near and dear to your heart and rely on them. And the things that you need to work on, work even harder in those areas, so that it becomes second nature.”

Paula Abdul Has Some Wise Advice For The American Idol Season 24 Top 3 Finalists

During an appearance on the American Idol Official Podcast (shared via Instagram), Paula offered her advice to Hannah, Jordan, and Keyla as they prepare for the May 11 finale. When asked by host Danielle Fishel about the one piece of advice she’d give the finalists, she said, “Embrace the strengths that you have. Keep those near and dear to your heart and rely on them. And the things that you need to work on, work even harder in those areas, so that it becomes second nature.”

Paula’s Advice Comes From Personal Experience

Paula shared some of her personal performance experience in order to explain why her advice was necessary for the finalists. She shared, “And even when I would work with Michael [Jackson] and Janet [Jackson], it was consistency with rehearsals. And I mean, if we mess up, we’re starting from square one. And once you get it all the way right through, you’re gonna do it three more times. The way you leave the stage is more important even than how you came on the stage. So you better sing your butt off. And make people remember.”

Paula’s advice to the American Idol season 24 Top 3 finalists makes so much sense and comes from personal experience. Not only is she a music legend and an icon in her own right, but she’s helped create a galaxy of American Idol superstars. Paula’s always been the perfect combination of a cheerleader and a counselor, pointing out people’s strengths, while also offering gentle constructive criticism. Her return to the American Idol judging panel was a breath of fresh air as the current judges, Lionel, Carrie, and Luke have become notorious for being too easy on the contestants. Paula understands that making the finalists aware of their flaws isn’t being mean, but rather it helps them to improve.

Paula is absolutely right that Hannah, Jordan, and Keyla’s last impressions on the audience will be more important than their first. They already have strong fan bases, but the finale is their last chance to earn votes from America in order to be crowned the next American Idol. They’re all so talented that any one of them would be perfect in the role. With Paula’s sage advice, the sky’s the limit for them. It would be fantastic to see Paula make a permanent return as an American Idol judge.

Source: American Idol/Instagram

Release Date

2002 – 2016-00-00

Network

ABC

Showrunner

Nigel Lythgoe

Directors

Ken Warwick

Franchise(s)

American Idol