The 22nd season of the iconic singing competition American Idol returns on February 18, 2024.
Since debuting on FOX in 2002, we’ve seen close to 250 finalists come and go… and some have stuck out in our mind longer than others, especially after the cameras stopped rolling.
In celebration of the upcoming season, I compiled a list of my favorite non-winning participants based on… well… attractiveness. Thirsty, I know. But, hey, there’s even a few gay singers on this list!
Did I forget any of your favorites based on sex appeal? Comment and let me know, then tune in for the premiere of Idol on ABC this Sunday.
1. Jim Verraros (9th, Season 1): Recently released a single, Take My Bow, which hit #5 on the UK club charts.
2. Josh Gracin (4th, Season 2): New single, You’re on Fire, was released in 2023 in support of a new album.
3. Anthony Federov (4th, Season 4): Since Idol he’s worked a ton of off-Broadway gigs including Hairspray.
4. Ace Young (7th, Season 5): Co-lead the first book-to-musical performance of First Date.
5. Chris Richardson (5th, Season 6): Stopped releasing original music in 2014 but is a proud husband/father.
6. Blake Lewis (2nd, Season 6): He’s landed 3 singles on Billboard Dance since leaving Idol.
7. David Archuleta (2nd, Season 7): Won multiple awards in 2023/24 for latest single I’m Yours.
8. David Hernandez (12th, Season 7): He’s really embraced body positivity and has released extremely catchy tunes.
9. Stefano Langone (7th, Season 10): Can say that he toured with Babyface in 2020.
10. Joshua Ledet (3rd, Season 11): Released his self-titled debut album in 2017.
11. Dalton Rapattoni (3rd, Season 15): Recently fronted the band King Honey Bee.