As season 24 of “American Idol” marches on with another live show on April 6, 2026, judges Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie will go back in time with the Top 12 contestants, who will be announced at the top of the show.
For the annual Judges’ Song Contest, they’ll not only pick 90s tunes for the hopefuls to sing, but will welcome several 90s TV icons to the show alongside “Boy Meets World” alum Danielle Fishel, who’s now hosting the official “American Idol” post-show podcast.
90s Stars on Next ‘American Idol’ Episode Were All Part of ABC’s TGIF Lineup
GettyDuring the first episode of Fishel’s new “American Idol” podcast, which debuted on April 1, the actress revealed which stars will join her in Hollywood for the live show on April 6.
All are alumni of ABC’s TGIF programming lineup on Friday nights in the 80s and 90s. The network’s TGIF brand stood for “Thank Goodness It’s Funny,” a two-hour block of family-friendly sitcoms that were incredibly popular, per Screen Rant.
Fishel announced on her new podcast that the former TGIF stars set to appear on “American Idol” are:
- Andrea Barber from “Full House,” which aired from 1987 to 1995
- Danica McKellar from “The Wonder Years,” which aired from 1988 to 1993
- Holly Robinson Peete and Mark Curry from “Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper,” which aired from 1992 to 1997
- Caroline Rhea from “Sabrina, The Teenage Witch,” which aired from 1996 to 2003
- Reginald VelJohnson from “Family Matters,” which aired from 1989 to 1998
How the ‘American Idol’ Judges’ Song Contest Will Work
It’s not clear how the stars will be involved in the “American Idol” episode, but we do know how the night will unfold for the remaining contestants. A voting glitch during the March 30 episode kept Seacrest from announcing which two singers didn’t wouldn’t advance to the Top 12, so the next episode is expected to reveal them right off the bat.
Then, each singer in the Top 12 will be given three 90s songs selected by the judges and have to choose which one they want to practice and perform. Viewers will have two hours to cast their votes during the show, and one more contestant will be sent home by the end of the two-hour episode.
Although only a couple of the contestants were even alive in the 90s, it should be a fun trip back down memory lane for the judges. Underwood was still a tween and teen growing up in Oklahoma, Bryan turned 21 in 1977, and Richie was still basking in the glow of being one of the biggest music stars of the 80s.
You can catch the next “American Idol” on April 6 from 8 to 10 p.m., Eastern time, on ABC and Disney+.
