Let's all stand up and give a round of applause for American Idol's newest winner, Jamal Roberts!
After three months of American Idol season 23 airing on ABC, it all came down to a dramatic ending on May 18. Viewers tuned in to see Jamal, Breanna Nix and John Foster sing their hearts out in a three-hour finale, with the trio each vying to emerge as the winner of the season. And that's not all people watched. As Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie gave their final thoughts and former contestants came back to duet with some of music's greatest singers, it became a night no one could forget.
As Breanna eventually got eliminated, only Jamal and John were left in the running to win the entire competition. But in the end, Jamal clinched the top spot and won the 2025 season.
"@officialjamalroberts WINS #AmericanIdol!!! 🎉," read the official caption after the winning moment was revealed on Instagram.
Although many were ecstatic about Jamal's incredible American Idol win, some had thoughts about John's fate over the course of the season. Even though they congratulated Jamal on their success, they also felt like John possibly knew the result ahead of time.
"John deff peeped down the card and saw Jamal name on there and looked at him and smiled," one person wrote in the comments. "John saw the name on the card. That must have been tough 😢," another exclaimed. "John saw the card! He knew!" a different follower added.
As fans recall, Jamal initially made an impression on the judges after singing a moving rendition of "Mary Jane" by Rick James. Jamal quickly advanced through the competition, landing him in the top spot. As for John, he sang "Goodbye Time" by Conway Twitty, gaining judges' approval and serving as a springboard for the rest of his time on American Idol.
As for how Jamal feels about his win on American Idol, he had a humble response about the experience.
"From my first step on that stage to this unbelievable moment, I never dreamed a kid from my hometown would one day be called American Idol," he wrote on Instagram on May 18. "This journey has been bigger than me, and I’m so grateful for every person who believed in me when I was just chasing a dream ... Now, I get to make music with the best in the world and share my story. But this isn’t the end … it’s just the beginning. From the bottom of my heart … THANK YOU! None of this happens without y’all. 💙."
Congrats, Jamal — and we'll be on the lookout for what's next from both artists!
Adrianna Freedman
Associate Editor
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
