In 2002, American Idol was a fledgling reality competition TV show in search of the next big pop star. Meanwhile, Kelly Clarkson was a 21-year-old struggling artist looking for her big break. Winning over judges and viewers with her one-of-a-kind voice, the Burleson, Texas native became the show’s first-ever champion. She has demonstrated her staying power in the two decades since, selling more than 82 million records and snagging three Grammy Awards. These days, you can usually find the “Miss Independent” singer, 43, helming The Kelly Clarkson Show on daytime TV. During Thursday’s (May 1) episode, she revealed the fellow American Idol star with whom she wouldn’t mind being stranded on a deserted island.
Saturday Night Live legends Tina Fey and Will Forte joined Kelly Clarkson on the set of her daytime talk show Thursday (May 1.) The trio explored hypothetical scenarios during a round of “Playing Dice With God.”
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Rolling the dice, Clarkson landed on the “Personal” category. An omniscient-sounding voice (i.e. “God”) came over the loudspeaker, asking which “former famous co-worker” she would choose to be stranded alongside on an island.
The Emmy winner had her answer ready. “She seems like a fun hang for awhile, so I’m gonna say J.Hud,” Clarkson said, referring to EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson.
Like Clarkson, Hudson got her start on American Idol. Her elimination at the season 3 top 7 is still widely regarded as one of the most controversial exits in the show’s history.
While the two’s paths never crossed on Idol, they worked together as coaches on season 15 of The Voice more than a decade later.
“Let’s Do It”: ‘American Idol’ Star Responds to Kelly Clarkson
Posting a clip to the show’s Instagram page, Kelly Clarkson asked Jennifer Hudson, “you in?”
The answer was a resounding yes: “Let’s do it,” the Dreamgirls star commented.
Since her time on Idol, Hudson has certainly left her mark. In 2022, she became the youngest woman and third African-American recipient of all four major entertainment awards. She also began helming her own talk show, The Jennifer Hudson Show, that same year.
“something tells us a crossover will happen between you and [Kelly Clarkson] in the future,” commented one Instagram user.
Featured image by Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
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