American Idol revealed its top 16 on Sunday night, but when the top 10 is set, it’ll look somewhat familiar.
That’s because, for the first time, the show is bringing back 10 contestants from last season to compete for the final spot in the top 10. The “comeback contestants” will sing for America’s vote on the show’s April 19 episode, and voting will continue through April 26. At the end, one will be left standing to go head-to-head with this year’s hopefuls.
Among the returning contestants is Arthur Gunn, who was last year’s runner-up; he lost to Just Sam. Louis Knight and Makayla Phillips, who made the top 11 are also returning. The rest of the comeback kids had previously made it as far as the top 20.
As you may recall, last season, starting with the Top 20 show, all the contestants had to perform from their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The finale also took place at home, which meant that when Just Sam won, instead of standing on the stage in a shower of confetti in front of a cheering crowd, she was alone in her apartment.
Here’s the full list of contestants from last year who are coming back:
Faith Becnel
Franklin Boone
Dwayne Crocker Jr.
Cyniah Elise
Arthur Gunn
Aliana Jester
Louis Knight
Nick Merico
Makayla Phillips
Olivia Ximines
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