Lauren Daigle Was Eliminated from ‘American Idol’ 3 Times Before She Became a Huge Christian Star
One lucky American Idol contestant was treated to a surprise from her own idol during the season 21 premiere on Feb. 19. Megan Danielle, a 20-year-old singer from Georgia, was visited by American Idol alum Lauren Daigle at her audition in Las Vegas. According to Daigle, it was a full-circle moment that reminded her of her own journey on the singing competition. But when was Daigle a contestant on Idol? Here’s how far she made it on the show and what she’s up to now.
Lauren Daigle surprised a contestant on ‘American Idol’ Season 21
Megan, a waitress and Christian music singer, chose to audition for American Idol with Daigle’s “You Say.” Little did Megan know that Daigle was there to surprise her. According to host Ryan Seacrest, Daigle had performed a show in Las Vegas the night before. She entered the audition room singing along with Megan, which even surprised judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan.
After the performance, Daigle told Megan that her journey reminded her of her own. She was thrilled to be part of Megan’s audition and eagerly awaited the judges’ decisions — a unanimous “yes” to send Megan to Hollywood. Before Megan’s Idol adventure begins, let’s look back at how Daigle fared in the competition.
How far did Lauren Daigle make it on ‘American Idol’?
Lauren Daigle first auditioned for American Idol during season 9 in 2010 after she was encouraged by her family to give it a shot. However, she was cut during Hollywood Week just before the Top 24. According to the singer, she then tried out in season 10, but she didn’t go to Hollywood that time. The Columbus, Ohio, native auditioned again in 2012 during season 11, this time getting cut in Las Vegas. Her performances were mostly untelevised.
In a 2019 interview with Cosmopoitan, Daigle revealed the rejections motivated her to keep trying at her music career.
“I knew right then, sitting in that moment, I’m gonna have to decide whether I’m gonna get back up and just start trying, or if I’m just gonna let that determine the course of my life,” she said.
Daigle proved American Idol wrong and came back to show it off. After making it on her own in the Christian music world, she returned as a mentor during season 17’s Top 6 Week. Then, in season 18, she performed “You Say” with winner Just Sam.
What is Lauren Daigle doing now?
After her attempts as a contestant on American Idol, Lauren Daigle moved to Baton Rouge and performed with a band while she attended college. She also started working as a background vocalist and got recognized by the label Centricity Music, which signed her in 2013.
Daigle has since released three albums that reached No. 1 on the U.S. Top Christian Albums chart. She also released four No. 1 singles and received multiple awards, including Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song and Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.
Daigle recently signed on to a partnership with Atlantic Records. She also has several shows coming up in Texas, Florida, Alabama, and Ohio, according to her website.
“It’s so beautiful and powerful to see where a ‘no’ can take you,” Daigle told Cosmopolitan. “I would tell younger Lauren, ‘Just hang tight. Ride the wave. Let the journey unfold before you as it’s supposed to and you’ll be right where you’re supposed to be.'”
New episodes of American Idol air on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Next-day streaming is also available on Hulu.
