Jamal Roberts has a 5-word message for one ‘American Idol’ judge after his victory: ‘Thanks for...’
From a humble PE teacher to the winner of 'American Idol' Season 23, Jamal Roberts' journey is nothing short of inspiring. The 27-year-old singer not only won hearts but also made history as only the second Black winner of the competition since Ruben Studdard’s victory in 2003. Though his journey to victory had its share of ups and downs, it was Judge Luke Bryan who had openly voiced his support for Roberts' win. Now, after winning the show, Roberts repaid Bryan for his encouragement by sending a 5-word message to him, making for a wholesome 'American Idol' moment.
Following the Sunday, May 18 finale of 'American Idol,' Bryan took to TikTok to share his excitement, posting his reaction to Foster's win. "What a way to close out the season! Congrats @officialjamalroberts," Bryan captioned the video, as per Yahoo! Entertainment. Roberts later reposted the clip on his Instagram Stories with a heartfelt message, "Thanks for believing in me," tagging the country singer in the post.
@lukebryan What a way to close out the season! Congrats @officialjamalroberts ! #idol ♬ Northern Attitude - Noah Kahan & Hozier
Fans were also in awe of the duo's camaraderie, as many showered them with love and support in the TikTok video. A fan said, "Luke was the biggest Jamal supporter this season and I love it!!" while another noted, "You would have thought Luke won Congratulations Jamal Roberts." A fan shared, "Luke you are a real one and I enjoyed watching your excitement each week for this young man!!!!" Another shared, "Luke you are a real one and I enjoyed watching your excitement each week for this young man!!!!"
Another remarked, "Congratulations Jamal well deserve this I'm absolutely happy I can see Luke Bryan is Definitely happy and excited for Jamel." Another fan shared, "Luke was in love with him from Hawaii singing liar and just fell more and more in love with jamal's gift of doing.... and that's how you j show... it's just the right thing." A fan noted the difference between Carrie Underwood and Bryan's celebrations and said, "Congratulations Jamal well deserve this I'm absolutely happy I can see Luke Bryan is Definitely happy and excited for Jamel."
Notably, before the much-anticipated grand finale of the 'American Idol' Season 27, Bryan had shared strong instincts of Foster would win the title. "My gut has told me Jamal has... [been] a lead all year," Bryan told PEOPLE in a group interview on Monday, May 12, just days before the big showdown. Still, Bryan shared that America’s vote will determine the winner and that the finalists must stay sharp, saying, "When you look at every time Breanna gets through, we're like, 'She keeps showing up and making it happen.'"
He also noted that the race isn't over for the others either, saying, "And then John Foster just seems to be gaining momentum." Bryan concluded with a reminder about staying focused as he said, "Even if it's something that Jamal's kind of had the reins of, it could change with a little bit of not focusing... so they have to be focused all the way to the end. The music business is never not like that. You've got to focus every day."