American Idol has welcomed back several alumni this season to work as mentors with the young aspiring singers.
During Hollywood Week, several stars came back and worked with the singers, each dealing with performers in their specific genres.
In the top 24 round, Jimmie Allen and Bebe Rexha, two major stars who failed to make it on American Idol returned to the show to mentor the singers.
During the top 20, some past winners will return and perform live for the fans this weekend.
Now, another former star has revealed she is coming to American Idol to work as a mentor.
Gabby Barrett returning to American Idol as a mentor
Billboard revealed that Gabby Barrett was coming back to American Idol as a mentor for the singers competing for the 20th-anniversary win.
Past episodes saw Ruben Studdard, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Lee DeWyze, Lauren Alaina, Haley Reinhart, and Chayce Beckham return as mentors.
Barrett auditioned for American Idol in Season 16 and earned a spot on the show. She then had a great season for more than one reason.
First of all, she made it all the way to the finals before coming in third place behind winner Maddie Poppe and runner-up Caleb Lee Hutchinson.
Second, she met her husband, Cade Foehner, while competing on the show that season.
Who is Gabby Barrett from American Idol?
Gabby Barrett auditioned for American Idol Season 16 in New York City, singing Church Bells by Carrie Underwood. It was a tough call, singing a song by Idol’s most successful star, but it worked and she moved on.
Meanwhile, Cade Foehner auditioned in Savannah, Georgia, with the song No Good by Kaleo and also moved on in the competition.
Both Gabby and Cade made it to the live voting rounds. The two eventually hit the top 5 when Cade finally went home, leaving Gabby in the final three, where her journey ended.
Gabby and Cade married one year later and welcomed their first child, Baylah May, in January 2021.
Gabby went on to massive success in the music industry with her debut album, Goldmine, which hit number four on the country charts, 27th on the Billboard 200, and ended up going platinum. She also had two number one singles in I Hope (6-times platinum) and The Good Ones (double-platinum).
Now, Gabby is coming in to mentor this season’s singers and hopefully give them the advice they need to better their careers.
American Idol airs on Sunday and Monday nights at 8/7c on ABC.