Kellie Pickler became America’s sweetheart in 2006, competing on “American Idol” as a bright-eyed 19-year-old from small-town North Carolina who went from working as a waitress at the local Sonic drive-in to landing in the show’s Top 6.
Over the last 20 years, she’s experienced some high highs, including scoring multiple country hits, winning “Dancing With the Stars” in 2013 and landing her own talk show. But there have also been some very low lows since 2023, when her husband of 12 years, Kyle Jacobs, died by suicide and a years-long court battle with his family began.
But through it all, Pickler remains grateful for the whole journey. On May 4, 2026, she performed on “American Idol” after years out of the spotlight. She later appeared on the after-show podcast, released on May 6, for her first interview in over three years, and revealed how “very blessed” she still feels.
Kellie Pickler Says Every ‘American Idol’ Finalist Becomes Part of the ‘Idol Family’
Chatting with podcast host Danielle Fishel, Pickler said her journey on “American Idol” not only catapulted her into a career she’d only dreamed of, but also placed her within a true “family” of contestants she still leans on today.
Earlier in the evening, Pickler sang Martina McBride’s “A Broken Wing” with 2026 finalist Hannah Harper, two decades after she sang that very song in her own “American Idol” audition.
“It’s all come full circle, I guess,” she told Fishel. “It’s so nice that each time you come back to ‘Idol,’ it’s kind of like you pick up right where you left off with everyone. I hope people really believe me when I say that it is a family here. It is an ‘Idol’ family, and once you’re a part of it, it’s forever, no matter what season you’re on.”
Despite the fact that “American Idol” moved from its original home at FOX to ABC in 2018, Pickler marveled, “It’s really nice to come back and see so many of the same people that were working on the show 20 years ago. It is a family and we take care of each other. It’s like, it’s good to be home.”
When Fishel remarked about how great it is to feel like a family within a “high-stakes environment,” Pickler interjected, “But the camaraderie with everyone is so beautiful and should not go unnoticed because that’s important.”
In April, season five winner Taylor Hicks told EntertainmentNow that he and his fellow 2006 finalists, including Pickler, still have a text group to keep up with and support each other.
Kellie Pickler Says It’s ‘Wild’ to Realize 20 Years Have Passed Since Her ‘American Idol’ Journey
Fishel also asked Pickler if, when she was competing in 2006, she was surprised by “how much America fell in love with you.” The former SiriusXM host laughed and said, “I was surprised by everything!”
Noting that she’d come from a small town and had never been on a plane before, much like Carrie Underwood in season four, Pickler said she got to “experience all these first-time moments with the world watching at the same time.”
“A lot of people that watched my season were just kind of growing with me and watched me grow up on TV,” Pickler said. “It’s wild to think that 20 years have passed, and a lot’s happened, and I’m very blessed. I’m very blessed.”
She also recalled the “iconic” music mentors who visited the “American Idol” set during season five, including Kenny Rogers, Queen, Stevie Wonder, Barry Manilow, and Rod Stewart. As for the season 24 finalists, she said “the talent’s just unbelievable” and said she loved how “eclectic” the final five singers were.
Pickler didn’t reveal what her future plans entail, but did cutely admit she still has her Sonic waitress apron, complete with chocolate milkshake stains, from her days of waitressing at Sonic before she headed to Hollywood.
“American Idol” will air its three-hour season 24 finale on May 11, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
