'Star Search' reboot heats up fast with surprise results and Netflix's live voting twist
The Netflix reboot of the popular competition show 'Star Search' just premiered its first episode on January 20, 2026, and it was quite a comeback! It felt as if the original show that premiered its last episode over two decades ago has now been resurrected in a wholesome manner. The first night, hosted by the amiable Anthony Anderson, featured live competitions in all the categories of 'Music', 'Dance', 'Comedy', 'Junior', and a fifth category, 'Variety', which includes other sub-categories, such as 'Magic'. It was a night to remember, indeed.
The judge's panel on the 'Star Search' reboot comprises media personality Chrissy Teigen, actress Sarah Michelle Gellar, and country singer Jelly Roll. For the first time in the streaming platform's history, Netflix came up with a unique live-voting system for the competition show. The system dictates that audiences watching the show from the comfort of their homes would be acting as the fourth judge, and will be required to cast their votes through their TV remote or Netflix app when prompted by the show. This interactive approach to voting makes sure that all votes are cast and counted before each episode ends. The prize money is set at an attractive $500,000.
TV Insider revealed that all the contending performers were introduced first, with The Weekend's 'Blinding Lights' playing in the background. The Junior Music category was the first one up for the night and featured Eric Aiden Williams competing against Blair Kudelka. While Williams sang 'I'll Be There' by the Jackson 5, Kudelka delivered a country classic by the name of 'Blue' composed by former show contestant LeAnn Rimes. Although Jelly Roll praised Kudelka, saying, "It's so great to see a young country music lady on the stage. Your voice is as big as the state you're from, Texas," the latter eventually lost out to Williams, who won by 0.8 stars.
Moving on, the French all-female dance troupe, Ladymetry, was up against Movement 55, a group from Los Angeles, California. Movement 55 hit the dance floor first and performed to 'Flood' by Little Simz, according to TVLine. Ladymetry, on their part, delivered a stunning coordinated choreography that was complemented by their matching black costumes. Ultimately, Movement 55 emerged victorious.
The Variety category consisted of two contenders: magician TJ Salto and the famous illusionist Fernando Velasco. While TJ performed an intriguing magic trick that involved a giant balloon and posing a numerical question to the audience, Velasco pulled a disappearing trick on stage, leaving both the studio audience and the judges dumbfounded. TJ was eventually crowned the winner of this round. The fourth and final round presented the groups 2BYG and H3RIZON in the music category. H3RIZON was the winner for the night. 'Star Search' airs new episodes every Tuesday and Wednesday at 9 pm ET on Netflix.
