“American Idol” fans, take note. A new addition is joining season 24 — a companion podcast with a familiar face hosting! Check out all the details, including the host, the premiere date, and the fan reaction.
‘American Idol Official Podcast’ Starts in April 2026: Meet the Host
Danielle Fishel is set to host “American Idol Official Podcast,” according to a March 23 report from Variety. The outlet shares that the podcast will “dive deeper into America’s most iconic music competition series, exploring the performances everyone’s talking about, and offering exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes insights, and expert analysis of the judges’ critiques.”
Fishel is an actress best known for playing Topanga on ABC’s “Boy Meets World” and Disney Channel’s “Girl Meets World.” She was also a contestant on “Dancing With the Stars” season 34, placing eighth.
The actress is no stranger to podcasts, as co-host of the “Teen Beat” podcast and “Pod Meets World.” Fishel and her husband, Jensen Karp, are producers on “Teen Beat,” “How Rude, Tanneritos!,” “Magical Rewind,” and “Pod Meets World.”
“American Idol” kicked off season 24 on January 26, 2026 and is now down to the top 20 contestants. Live shows start on March 30!
‘Idol’ Fans Share Excitement for New Podcast
On March 23, Fishel took to Instagram to share the exciting news and, like so many others, she’s been a fan of the show since the first season.
“I’ve been watching since ‘From Justin to Kelly’ and now I’ll be there for the whole journey,” she wrote. “Catch me as the new host of the ‘American Idol Official Podcast’ which premieres Wednesday April 1st on @disneyplus, @hulu and wherever you get your podcasts!”
Fishel added, “Make sure to tune into the @americanidol live shows every Monday starting March 30th. See you there!”
Fans flooded the comments section to congratulate Fishel on her newest gig, with messages including, “I can’t wait,” “I love this,” and “Let’s go!”
Others marveled at how much the actress always has on her plate. “I’ve lost count of how many pods you’re doing,” one fan wrote.
Another fan wrote, “When does she sleep, she’s so busy 😭.”
“Woooo!! Can’t wait! Also, you look stunning!!” another fan noted.
One fan wrote, “Look at you, Danielle!! Killin’ it on every podcast you’re hosting. Love to see you & love to hear you. Congratulations!!”
The official “American Idol” Instagram account commented, “Oh this is gonna be FUN 👏👏👏.”
