Following Paula Abdul's return to the judges' table Monday night on American Idol, the show is bringing back yet another former judge for the show's April 19 installment, reports Billboard.
Harry Connick Jr., who spent three seasons as an Idol judge when the show aired on Fox, will return for the show, during which 10 contestants from last year will come back to try to win a spot in this season's top 10. Harry will perform two songs from his latest album, Alone with My Faith.
He tells Billboard, "It's really nice to be back. I had such a good time when I was a judge, and before that, a mentor. So any chance I get to see those folks again, I welcome. I have a lot of friends there."
Also returning: Lauren Daigle, who auditioned twice for the show — once in 2010, when she was cut right before the Top 24, and again in 2012, where she made it to Hollywood Week but was then eliminated. Now a Grammy-winning, chart-topping Christian/pop artist, Lauren's since been a mentor and performed on American Idol.
The "You Say" singer tells Billboard, "I'm excited to be back with people that I so enjoy. We did rehearsals and the Idol team, like the band, is insane. We had a ball." Lauren will sing her song "Look Up Child," the title track of her most recent album.
Speaking about her history with the show, Lauren tells Billboard, "At the time I was so young and naïve and I don't think I knew who I was yet…I feel like it gave me an opportunity to step back. And 'no' can be good. It creates resilience and it increases your understanding of why it is that you do what you do."
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
