With hit TV shows and two Emmys to boot, actress, singer, and TV host Keke Palmer doesn’t need to win a reality competition to make a name for herself. But if she’d decided to go that route, she knows which show she would have chosen to audition for: “American Idol.”
While appearing on Sean Evans’ “Hot Ones” podcast on September 15, 2025, Palmer declared that she knows “for a fact” that she could have won “American Idol” if she’d auditioned years ago.
Keke Palmer Says She ‘Always Thought I Could Be an American Idol’
Palmer has won two Emmys — a Best Actress award in 2021 for “Turnt Up With The Taylors” and another in 2023 as Outstanding Game Show Host for NBC’s “Password.” But if her path hadn’t wound up in Hollywood as an actress and host, she’s quite sure that a golden ticket on “American Idol” would have worked out for her, too.
On “Hot Ones,” Evans asked Palmer, “Which reality show do you think you’d have the best shot of winning?”
Palmer confidently answered, “I know for a fact, if it was at the right time, the right era, your girl would’ve been an American Idol.”
“I would’ve been up there with my girl Fantasia,” she added, referencing the 2004 winner. “Not her season though, ’cause she would’ve beaten me. But I would’ve been up in there, I know I could’ve made it at some point. ‘American Idol.'”
Aware that producers love to share the compelling backgrounds and life experiences of contestants on the show, Palmer said, “I had a storyline. I’m from Chicago. My mom was a singer growing up, I grew up in the church.”
“That’s right, you have a human interest element,” Evans interjected.
Palmer agreed, “You get what I mean? You had to have that back in the day. You needed that storyline.”
“I would’ve ate the damn America up, oh my gosh, y’all would’ve been crying,” she teased, before singing briefly, pretending she was on the show. “You know, I always thought I could be an American Idol. Like, I feel like I would have been an American Idol.”
Keke Palmer Has Released Multiple Albums
Lately, Palmer has been getting a taste of what it might feel like to be an “American Idol,” having released an 18-track visual album in June called “Just Keke” and performing across the U.S.
As the album was released, she was on the “Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” as a musical guest for the first time. She shared a backstage video on Instagram at the time to show how pumped up she was about the opportunity.
“I’m literally about to perform on ‘The Tonight Show’ for the very first time ever,” she said. “There’s so much excitement and love in the room… We’re just going to go out there and give ’em what we got. Period. Give them that energy that they’ve come to see. Look at your girl. Versace! Period.”
According to NBC Insider, Palmer released her first album in 2007 called “So Uncool,” followed by 2011’s “Awaken, “KeKe Palmer” in 2012, “Waited to Exhale” in 2016, “Virgo Tendencies” in 2020, and “Big Boss” in 2023.
At 32, Palmer is over the age limit of 28 to audition for “American Idol,” but fans can always hope for a performance from the multitalented artist on a future season.
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