And the storytelling component plays a huge part in the singing competition series, according to Carrie’s new panelmate Lionel.
“It’s not someone we have to get used to,” he told E! News in August. “And the fact that she has a great story, she came from American Idol.”
He added, “What a great judge. Now we don’t have to explain anymore, ‘We know how you feel.’ As artists, we know how you feel, but we’ve never been in that oval that says, ‘American Idol.’ She’s been there, done that.”
Read on to see what other American Idol alums are up to these days.