Did a cop from ‘The Rookie’ just audition for ‘American Idol’? We didn't see that crossover coming
'American Idol' may have seen many contestants come and go, but none were as memorable as Melissa O'Neil, famously known as Lucy Chen from ABC's hit show 'The Rookie'. O'Neil was shooting for an investigative scene of her show, all dressed up in a police uniform with a gun. She arrested a singer who happened to be backstage at the singing contest. When the artist tells Chen that he left his bag and ID somewhere, Chen goes to grab it. A few seconds later, the backstage speaker sees Chen with an 'American Idol' sticker and quickly mistakes her for a contestant.
Soon, Chen finds herself in front of Ryan Seacrest, completely baffled, "There's been a mitake, I'm not suppose to be he--", but Seacrest interrupted her and said, "No, look I understand, You're nervous, everybody is," he added, "Just before you get in there, take a deep breath." And the next second, she was pushed into the room. When the judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Katy Perry saw her in the uniform, Katy Perry couldn't help but ask, "Are we in trouble?" Finding herself in the predicament, Chen made the call to play along and told the judges that 'I Never Loved Him,' by Aretha Franklin. Judges were stunned by her performance. But even before judges could say anything, Chen said, "I have to go," quickly making her way off the stage.
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Per E! Online, the crossover between the two shows was aired in season 2, episode titled 'The Overnight', and immediately struck a chord with the fans. One wrote on the YouTube comment section, "She can act, dance, sing, handle action, dramatic scenes, and can be funny... she's a six-sided threat. Go Melissa O'Neil!" Another added, "That episode was a total surprise to me. She is soooo talented." The third chimed in, "This is one of the best crossovers ever! I just wish they'd made it come up again in the episode, as opposed to just being an isolated section. Great voice Lucy!!"
Per the aforementioned outlet, this wasn't the first time O'Neil showcased her singing talent on stage. She had also been on Canadian Idol, which she won in 2005. The multi-talented O'Neil shared how she spends her free time on the set with Hello Magazine, "I like capturing random, silly moments or watching the crew do what they do best. We move very swiftly on The Rookie, and it's a minor (major) miracle that they accomplish what they do in the amount of time they're given."
Speaking of her role in the latest season 7 of the show, which aired on January 7, 2025, the actress mused, "Through the seasons, Lucy Chen has gone through quite an evolution. I was one of the lucky ones because I got to occupy a character that began in a rookie role, so she has had a lot of transformation through the years, both professionally and personally, and there's a lot of reflection of that in my own life as well." She also added, "I started the show in my 20s, I'm well into my 30s at this point. I had just recently moved to Los Angeles for the job. So, I was also a rookie in this city. I learned how to drive on this job. I didn't have my licence before. They didn't know that. They probably wouldn't have hired me had they known. It's been quite the journey."
