‘American Idol’ contestant reveals his audition went so horribly wrong — producers had to cut it from show
Adam Lambert is one of the most successful participants of 'American Idol.' The runner-up of Season 8, Lambert, has made a name for himself, shedding the image of an 'Idol' contestant. However, in a recent chat, Lambert talked about his time on the singing competition. The 'Whataya Want from Me' singer came forward with a shocking revelation about his audition, which many fans are unaware of.
Lambert talked about his 'American Idol' audition during 'The Jennifer Hudson Show,' revealing that what fans saw in Season 8 wasn't the full story. "It's funny, because they didn't air my entire audition," he explained, as per Entertainment Now. Lambert shared that he first performed Michael Jackson's 'Rock With You,' but admitted, "I tried to sing 'Rock With You,'" but to his bad luck, the judges were completely unimpressed.
Fortunately, they allowed him to sing another song, and Lambert quickly realized he needed to switch gears. "They were not getting it," he told Jennifer Hudson. "And I saw their perplexed faces, and I thought, 'Okay, I'm not leaving without getting through.'" He then performed Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' which impressed the judges and aired on 'American Idol.' All four said "Yes," with Paula Abdul calling his audition "brilliant," and even Simon Cowell acknowledging the 26-year-old Lambert's talent. As the Season progressed, Lambert kept grabbing attention for his stellar vocals.
Notably, Hudson and Lambert, though from different 'American Idol' seasons, bonded over their shared experiences on the show. Hudson asked, "Do you still get the jitters on Wednesday nights from elimination nights? Cuz I do!" Lambert admitted his midweek nerves faded over time, but said seeing reminders of the show still triggered memories, saying, "It was a strange and exciting experience. I had a great time, but it was surreal, you know, very surreal." Both singers have since proven that you don't need to win Idol to achieve stardom, as Hudson went on to earn EGOT status in 2022, while Lambert built a powerhouse career across music, stage, and screen.
Lambert reportedly was also grabbing major headlines when he defended Cynthia Erivo's casting in the title role in the 'Jesus Christ Superstar' concert, which had sparked some backlash. "Cynthia’s brilliant. Her voice, presence, and simultaneous power and vulnerability absolutely blow my mind, and working with her has been a dream," Lambert told Billboard. He continued, "I'm excited by the challenge of presenting the audience with a production led by a Black female 'Jesus' and encourage the audience to expand their minds a bit."
He further added, "Originally utilizing rock and roll, 'Jesus Christ Superstar' is supposed to provoke and challenge; that’s the point. And shouldn’t the teachings of Jesus transcend gender?” Erivo, cast as Jesus in the concert back in February, responded to the backlash in an interview with Billboard. "Why not? You can't please everyone," she said. "It is legitimately a three-day performance at the Hollywood Bowl where I get to sing my face off. So hopefully they will come and realize, 'Oh, it's a musical, the gayest place on Earth.'"