‘American Idol’ fans light up social media over Season 24 celebrity mentor reveal and honestly same
From powerhouse performances to stellar vocals, 'American Idol' Season 24 has been grabbing major headlines with every new episode. The singing competition is currently moving ahead with its audition rounds, judged by Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan. To add even more star power and mentorship, the makers have recently revealed the season's celebrity mentors, and honestly, we're excited.
An Instagram video shared on Wednesday, January 28, revealed that 'American Idol' Season 24 is filming at Disney's Aulani Resort in Hawaii and announced Keke Palmer and Brad Paisley as celebrity mentors. Reacting to the news, Palmer wrote, "Oh, and the owl can SINGGG honey!" adding, "@bradpaisley and I are mentoring the #americanidol hopefuls at @disneyaulani!" as per Good Housekeeping. Following Palmer's announcement, American Idol's social team reacted in the comments, writing, "The duo no one knew they needed!!" and adding, "Can't wait for this."
Fans also flooded the Instagram comments with excitement over Palmer and Paisley joining the show as celebrity mentors, as one commented, "Girl I ain’t watched American Idol in over a decade but I bet I’ll be watching next season." A fan shared, "Officially gonna be the best season EVERRRRR!!!!! Keke as a mentor??? OH YEAH!!!!!!" While another added, "Can't wait! Your both gonna be amazing mentors for all the contestants." A fan wrote, "Fantastic 🔥🔥🔥🔥"
Notably, in Season 23, Jelly Roll served as American Idol's first Artist in Residence, supporting contestants throughout the competition, while Ashanti and Josh Groban joined as celebrity mentors during the show's previous visit to Disney's Aulani Resort in early 2025. Talking about the new season, executive producer and showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick praised the judges, saying, "I think they're a great team. They're happy to be here, and they really love the show. I feel like they're parents in a way, and it's very genuine."
Wolflick further added, "Carrie takes this job very seriously. She feels a pressure to deliver and all three are excellent at picking and cultivating talent. They really care and that is refreshing. And when we do auditions, it's like Christmas morning for Luke and Lionel. They're thinking, 'Who's going to walk in the door?' They're excited about it still. And even for me, being on the show for 20 years, the thrill is still there." On the new deal with Atlantic Records, Wolflick explained, "Atlantic came to 19 [Entertainment, Fremantle’s partner in production of American Idol] interested in the show. One of the executives over there, Jeff Levin, worked for Clive Davis back in the day when he was in high school, around 2006. He was already an Idol fan. He knew the magic of it. So that's a full circle moment for him to come back. They are passionate and they are excited."
