After winning “American Idol” Season 24, Hannah Harper walked away with more than just a record deal and a new fanbase. The mother of three also gained a powerful supporter in ”American Idol” judge Carrie Underwood, who offered some heartfelt words after her big victory. Check out what Carrie told Hannah below in our “American Idol” spoilers.
Immediate Connection
There was an immediate connection between Harper and Underwood, the only female judge on the Season 24 panel. Carrie was brought to tears over Harper’s original song “String Cheese,” which dives into the struggles of motherhood.
During the Season 24 finale, Underwood was one of the first people to congratulate Hannah on stage. Harper took some time to look back at that moment while sitting down to talk with TV Insider recently.
Hannah said, “Carrie was really encouraging, just as a mom. She relates. She was like, ‘Anything you need in the industry, I want to be available, help you with whatever you need.’ That was really nice.”
Other ‘American Idol’ Judges Offer Their Own Encouragement
It wasn’t only Carrie giving those encouraging words after Hannah’s “American Idol” win. Harper was also judged by Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie during the season.
Hannah said that “getting to chat with [the judges] after the show and hearing how genuine they are [was great].”
She added, “They’re real people who just want to encourage us every step of the way. It was one of the highlights of the whole competition.”
Reuniting With Carrie At the Grand Ole Opry
Now that the season is done, Hannah is moving on to her post-win life. That includes a special performance at the Grand Ole Opry on June 2 with Carrie Underwood.
Harper will be making her Opry debut at the event, which will also include performances from Avery Anna, Henry Cho, Dailey & Vincent, Drake Milligan, and Bill Anderson.
The mom of three is moving forward with her career as a musician. With that, she’s taking what she learned from “American Idol” into the future.
“Going forward … you just have to be confident in knowing your ability, and you’re exactly where you need to be,” Harper told TV Insider. “I walked into the competition feeling small, and towards the end, I stood taller, not because of my ability necessarily, but knowing that there’s a crowd of people who want to hear what I have to say. That’s a great feeling.”
More ‘American Idol’ Collaborations
In addition to singing with Carrie Underwood at the Grand Ole Opry, Hannah is working with another “American Idol” finalist.
It was announced earlier this week that Hannah would be joining Season 10 runner-up Lauren Alaina on tour. Lauren will be hitting the road this fall for her new headlining “The Stages Tour.”
As part of the tour, Lauren announced that rising artists Shane Profitt, Ashley Kutcher, and Hannah Harper would be joining her on the road for this tour. Hannah shared the big news on her Facebook page, captioning the tour dates with, “Two mommas, a bunch of babies, and a whole lotta miles ahead 😂🤍.”
