'American Idol' Season 18: Alejandro Aranda drops by to guide contestants, fans wonder where is Laine Hardy

Fans were quick to point out that while Alejandro has been placed on a pedestal, the show did not mention Laine Hardy even though he won the previous season
Alejandro Aranda (Getty Images)
Alejandro Aranda (Getty Images)

Fans questioned 'American Idol' Season 18 after they brought back Alejandro Aranda to offer advice despite him not winning the previous season.

On Monday night, 'American Idol' Season 18 brought in Alejandro to offer guidance to the contestants who were getting ready to perform on night three of Hollywood week. Following last week's genre challenge and last night's duet challenge, the series returned for Hollywood week. The contestants had to perform a solo song of their choice accompanied by the band. 

While the stakes were high for the contestants, the series brought in Season 17 runner-up Alejandro to offer some guidance to the contestants. Prior to their performance, Alejandro gave the contestants a pep talk and said, "I was definitely feeling a lot of nerves. But it was mostly because I was anxious because I know I'm going to express myself and play something that's from my heart."

He added that it is fine for them to feel nervous as long as they remember to express themselves and sing their song their own way. Alejandro was known for his original songs last season. Inspired by him, a few contestants also decided to perform their original songs during the Hollywood week.

The judges weren't impressed by that as Katy warned the contestants that not everyone is Alejandro and advised them to sing songs by other artists. Right from the premiere, the series has mentioned Alejandro a lot, even though he did come in second. Laine Hardy won the season after he received the highest number of votes from fans during the live finale. 

Fans didn't fail to notice the high pedestal the series has put Alejandro on and how often they talk about him on the show. However, Laine doesn't even get mentioned and neither was he brought in this season. Now, after watching Alejandro advise the contestants, fans on Twitter questioned the series if they had forgotten that it was Laine who won the season and not Alejandro. 

While some are happy to see Alejandro back on the screen, a few fans asked what the deal was with his return. "The folks at #AmericanIdol know Alejandro didn’t win last year, right? #lainehardy," a fan wrote. Adding to that another said, "Does #AmericanIdol know Alejandro didn’t win last year? What did Lanie Hardy do to piss them off so much?" 

"I love that #AmericanIdol is just pretending Alejandro won last year because we all know he should have," a fan wrote. While another said, "What is with American idol not even mentioning @TheLaineHardy lol Alejandro was never that special what did laine do #americanidol." 

"Did Alejandro win though? #AmericanIdol they don't even acknowledge the real winner last year. Don't get me wrong, I love him but... It's kind of shitty not to include the actual winner," a fan added. 

'American Idol' Season 18 airs every Sunday and Monday night only on ABC. Check your local listings for more information. 

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

With Season 8 set to premiere in 2027, the Netflix drama has already secured another chapter, with its first seven seasons already attracting more than 500 million views worldwide
2026-11-13T15:48:34.000Z
Ewan McGregor joins Claire Danes in the A24 thriller, which also stars Daveed Diggs and explores how a suspected hit-and-run threatens a marriage
2026-11-13T12:59:20.000Z
‘Happy’s Place’ Season 3 casts ‘Desperate Housewives’ star James Denton as Reba McEntire’s new love interest
2026-11-13T08:12:36.000Z
An unexpected rash turned out to be measles that might have been fatal for one character.
2026-11-13T07:46:24.000Z
Pavi and Nisha will follow separate paths before their journeys bring them back together in Book 2
2026-11-13T04:46:57.000Z
Mariska Hargitay’s reported ‘SVU’ paycheck includes acting and producing, while her estimated wealth reflects a career spanning more than four decades.
2026-11-12T20:43:49.000Z
'Marshals' Season 2 introduces a Texas cowgirl who joins Kayce Dutton at East Camp to help establish an equine therapy program.
2026-11-12T20:24:16.000Z
‘School Spirits’ Season 4 brings back Jennifer Tilly as Deborah Hunter-Price and Milo Manheim as Wally Clark while expanding its cast with four new additions
2026-11-12T20:05:26.000Z
Paul Wesley and Sara Canning reunite for Netflix’s college sports romance ‘Icebreaker,’ years after starring together in ‘The Vampire Diaries.’
2026-11-12T19:40:49.000Z
Peacock’s ‘The Good Daughter’ finale answers questions about the school shooting, Huck’s past and the buried secrets dividing Sam and Charlie’s family.
2026-11-12T16:29:59.000Z