Country music superstar and American Idol season 16 finalist Gabby Barrett will return to the show as a guest mentor on an upcoming episode. 22-year-old Gabby, who placed third on American Idol in 2018 behind runner-up Caleb Lee Hutchinson and winner Maddie Poppe, was known for her sensational performances of country music songs. After American Idol, in 2019, Gabby independently released the song, “I Hope.” She later signed with Warner Music Nashville and released her debut album Goldmine in 2020, which broke the record for the largest streaming week for a debut country album by a female artist. An impressive country music career is not the only thing that she gained from American Idol. In 2019, Gabby married fellow contestant Cade Foehner, and she gave birth to their first child, Baylah May on January 18, 2021.
In honor of its landmark 20th season, American Idol has been honoring its past by inviting back its most popular alumni to act as mentors for the contestants and to perform on the show. During the Hollywood Week Genre Challenge, alumni returned to give advice to the singers about various styles of music, including Ruben Studdard (R&B), Jordin Sparks (pop), David Cook (rock), Lee DeWyze (indie/folk), Lauren Alaina (country), Haley Reinhart (soul) and Chayce Beckham, who gave general advice to the contestants. Former contestant Jimmie Allen also served as a mentor during the Top 24 performances. American Idol has additionally announced that Phillip Phillips, Alejandro Aranda, and Chayce Beckham will return to perform during the Top 20 reveal episode. And on May 2, the show will present “The Great Idol Reunion,” pairing up stars from the past 20 seasons for a series of duets.
Now Billboard reports that former American Idol contestant Gabby will return to the show on Sunday, April 24 as a guest mentor. The Top 24 will be narrowed down to 14 contestants by the time of that episode. Although the theme for the week has not yet been announced, the mentors traditionally match the genre, so perhaps fans have another country music night to look forward to. Gabby is one of the legends of the ABC reboot of American Idol, with many contestants listing her among their favorites, so this is sure to be a real treat for them as well as the audience.
In a post on Instagram, Gabby expressed her excitement about returning to American Idol. She wrote, “Can’t wait to be back at my stomping grounds, to mentor this season on @americanidol. thanks for sharing the news @billboard.” The post was liked by several of the current American Idol contestants, including HunterGirl, Elli Rowe, Nicolina Bozzo, and Emyrson Flora. It was not that long ago that Gabby was in the exact place that they are. Her experience with the show will surely help her as she guides the current American Idol hopefuls through their performances.
American Idol season 20 has brought fans immense talent from the new contestants and a nostalgic trip back in time with the return of so many favorites from the past. Gabby will be a fantastic guest mentor as she had much success on the show, and especially in the years following it. She is a spectacular singer and performer, and like the other American Idol alumni mentors, Gabby will certainly enrich the show.
American Idol airs Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
