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Is Randy Jackson OK? ‘American Idol’ fans concerned as former judge returns to mentor

Former ‘American Idol’ judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul appeared on the latest episode of the show

The recently released ‘American Idol’ Season 24 episode, which aired on May 4, saw Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson return to the series. While the finalists’ performances stole the show, something else caught fans' attention. Randy Jackson’s appearance stood out as he met the Top 5 contestants and mentored them before they took the stage. Concerned fans headed to social media to express their thoughts on the situation, with Reddit user @Comfortable-Bed-5528 starting a thread on the platform with the title, “Randy are you ok?” The description of the discussion board read, “What is wrong with Randy Jackson? It looks as though he has aged 50 years in the last 5 years. Sorry if I missed something about his health but it’s sad.”

Many Reddit users shared their concerns about Jackson’s health as his appearance came as a shock to them. @Otherwise-Astronaut6 wrote, “He looks frail and can he not walk? Sitting in chair when meeting everyone.” Another user @Comfortable-Bed-5528 replied, “It looked like it was hard for him to reach out for a fist bump as well.” One Reddit user @mhart1212 wrote, “Randy doesn’t look well. He looks weak and frail. He only sat. I hope he is OK!” while @Silly-Good-2530, mentioned, “It’s more than weight loss surgery and being 70. Sad to see him like that and I thought he and Paula were doing the coaching session. Guess not.” 

A few Reddit users did some online digging and shed light on Jackson’s previous health conditions. @josephjohnston wrote, “After a diabetes diagnosis, he had a weight loss surgery in 2003. That's all I can find about his health.” To that, another person, @Nearby_Pay_5131 replied, “That would explain it, if that's all. Common to age rapidly after those, very hard for the body to absorb nutrition. I was thinking a much more serious condition. He looked so frail.” Individuals on X also chimed in. Speculating that he is on Ozempic, one netizen wrote, "Ozempic Randy Jackson can’t even stand up he’s so frail."

In 2002, Jackson was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. The following year, he lost over 100 pounds after his gastric bypass surgery. Additionally, he also suffered a back injury in 2019, after which he had spinal surgery as well. While fans were concerned about his health, they were also over the moon about his return to the show. This comes after he first joined in 2002 and stepped away after Season 12. He has made guest appearances on several occasions since then, leaving fans wanting more.