"American Idol" is a pretty big deal.The singing competition has had 19 seasons and
counting as well as 156 award nominations and eight Emmy wins. Today, American Idol's many
former contestants look very different. Here are the contestants who are unrecognizable now.
"American Idol" viewers will never forget the show's very first runner-up:
Justin Guarini. The singing sensation was all baby face and curls during his "American Idol" journey,
but these days he's more curly crew cut and grown-up goatee.
After coming in second place on Season 1 of "American Idol," Guarini didn't just change up
his hair. He also made the switch from pop star to Broadway star. The actor and singer has appeared
in five Broadway shows including "Wicked," "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,"
"American Idiot," and "Romeo and Juliet." He was also set to star as Prince Charming in
the Britney Spears jukebox musical "Once Upon a One More Time" before the COVID-19 pandemic.
While he may no longer be recognizable like he once was, Guarini is still a star.
There will only ever be one original "American Idol" winner — and Kelly Clarkson wears that crown
with unbelievable grace. Most people remember the first time they heard the songstress belt
out her winning song from the show, "A Moment Like This," because her powerhouse voice is undeniably
recognizable. But the star's appearance is not quite as recognizable. Fans first met Clarkson
as a tiny brunette with strong early 2000s style — chokers, chunky highlights, and all. These days,
however, she's all about bright blonde locks and showing off her beautiful curves.
According to an interview she did on her talk show,
Clarkson has had a lot of trouble with body-shamers.
She revealed:
"What makes me mad [...] [is that] other women
and other little girls are looking out there and they’re bigger than me and they're going,
'If they think she's this way, then what does the world think of me?'"
But, instead of succumbing to their hate,
she's making a stand for body positivity by loving herself at any size.
Clay Aiken may have come in second in Season 2 of "American Idol," but that doesn't mean
he hasn't been successful. The runner-up released an album shortly after his loss
that reached the top spot on the "Billboard 200," and he went on to release six more.
Maybe it was his silky-sweet singing voice that made him so popular or, perhaps,
his boyish good looks. Aiken was well-known at the time for his spiky hair and bright green eyes.
These days, however, he's not as recognizable since he's dropped that signature look. Aiken
is now rocking a slicked-back hairstyle. He also covers up his eyes with glasses on occasion — and
just looks as if he's matured a lot. And he's not just grown up in appearance, either,
as he's also moved on to a much more "adult" career in politics. Aiken ran for Congress in
2014 and is now the host of a political podcast titled "How the Heck Are We Gonna Get Along!"
Ruben Studdard took home the trophy in Season 2 of "American Idol," beating out Clay Aiken with
his deep, rich voice. The singer didn't just win on "American Idol" either — according to People,
he also scored a Grammy nomination in 2003 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his album
"Superstar". It's a safe bet, however, that Studdard would say his greatest win wasn't on
"American Idol" or the Grammy nomination list — it was on "The Biggest Loser."
Studdard appeared on the weight loss reality show in 2014 and, according to Today, shed 119 pounds.
He told Today:
"I [did] this for me; this was for my life. I'm so excited I got to take the time and do this.
It was something I could do for me, and nobody else. This show has given me a second chance
to live the best life I can live. I am going to be the healthiest Ruben Studdard I can be."
While this incredible weight loss might make Ruben Studdard unrecognizable,
it's easy to assume that fans are happy for him and his new lease on life.
“It means the world to me to get a second chance. My goal coming into The Biggest
Loser ranch was to leave here a changed person. And I think I reached that goal.”
Jennifer Hudson might not have won Season 3 of "American Idol", but she is certainly winning in
other ways. The singer with the powerhouse voice left the competition show with her head held high,
then went on to not only win a Grammy for Best R&B Album in 2009 but also to win an Oscar for
Best Supporting Actress in 2006. Hudson's serious successes should make her easily recognizable
around the world, but, thanks to a big weight loss, she doesn't even recognize herself!
According to Oprah, Hudson lost 80 pounds and dropped from a size 16 down to a size 6.
She told the publication:
"Sometimes I don't even recognize myself."
How did she achieve this amazing transformation?
A lot of hard work. Hudson worked with Weight Watchers.
She told Oprah:
"I cook all my meals at home [...] It's all about self-motivation because at the end of the day,
you can have all the trainers and all the money in the world,
but if you don't have that mindset, it's not possible."
Carrie Underwood has come a long way from the moment she first stole hearts on Season 4 of
"American Idol" — both in her career and her appearance. The small-town girl from Oklahoma
wasn't quite ready for her explosion onto the music scene when she won the competition show.
She told Parade:
"Idol was probably the most horrifying thing, because I had never been away
from my hometown like that before. I was in L.A., of all places, by myself,
putting myself out there, which is a scary thing for anybody to do."
These days, however, Underwood is taking the world by storm. As per her personal website, the country
singer has sold over 65 million records, seen 27 singles reach No. 1, garnered seven platinum
albums, and won more than 100 awards, from Grammys to American Country Music Awards.
Oh, and she looks fabulous. Underwood has had probably the most glamorous glow-up of all time.
Bo Bice was the runner-up in Season 4 of "American Idol." While he didn't take home the grand prize,
he did go on to release a gold-selling single and a successful album that topped at No. 4 on
the charts, as per Cross Rhythms. Back then, Bice's look was a little all over the place,
with very long — yet glorious — hair and a super retro goatee.
These days, Bice is unrecognizable in both his career and his appearance. He chose to take a step
back from singing and performing in order to focus on his wife and four kids, telling Cross Rhythms:
"Sometimes it's better to watch the game from the sidelines [...] Family
became more of a priority. The road became less of a priority."
And his famous hair? It's cropped to well above his shoulders now
to match his very distinguished salt-and-pepper beard.
Chris Daughtry made it to the top four in Season 5 of "American Idol"
before he was eliminated. Back then, the singer had a shaved head and close-cropped
facial hair. But these days? Daughtry is totally unrecognizable with a full,
salt-and-pepper beard, though he still has that smooth, shaved head.
After "American Idol," the rocker started a band, Daughtry, that ended up scoring a
Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song in 2008. And he's still rocking hard with that same band.
Ace Young took home seventh place on Season 5 of "American Idol." Back then,
the smiley singer was known for his long curly hair and roguish stubble. These days,
Young is almost completely unrecognizable as he chopped off his long curls and now opts for a
cleaner shave. He's also pivoted careers, going from singing pop to starring in Broadway shows.
Young starred in Broadway's revival of the musical "Hair" as Berger, a hippie living in
New York City. And he wasn't the only "American Idol" alum in the cast. Diana DeGarmo from Season
3 was also in that production of "Hair," and the two fell in love during the show and got married a
few years later. Since then, Young has appeared in several other Broadway shows and touring musicals.
Taylor Hicks took home the top prize in "American Idol" Season 5. His golden voice
must have given him superpowers — blinding the judges and the American public to his
questionable hair choice of droopy, salt and pepper locks. No matter what he looked like,
Hicks did have amazing talent that carried him beyond his "Idol" win onto other opportunities
like appearing on Jimmy Fallon's Grammy-winning album "Blow Your Pants Off" and becoming
the first "American Idol" winner to get a resident show in Las Vegas, as per People.
Hicks also brought his success into a different part of the entertainment world:
food and travel TV. The Alabama native went on the road to taste,
quote, "America's most iconic foods" in his show "State Plate." Oh, and Hicks is now
sporting incredibly distinguished white hair and oh-so-dapper stubble, making him unrecognizable.
Sanjaya Malakar ended up placing seventh in Season 6 of "American Idol." According to Billboard,
Malakar made it that far partially because his fans loved his long, luscious locks. The
sensation won a Teen Choice Award in 2007, wrote an autobiography titled "Dancing to the Music in
My Head: Memoirs of the People's Idol", and had a stint on "I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here".
These days, Malakar is completely unrecognizable, as he's traded his long hair for a long beard.
“This is Sanjaya’s hair.”
He is still making music that fans can check out on his Bandcamp page,
though, and is proud of how far he's come since his "Idol" days.
“And also from season 6,
this is really special. I think you guys are going to like this. It’s Sanjaya. Sanjaya himself.”
Back at the beginning of his "American Idol" journey,
Adam Lambert had a hard rock look to match his hard rock singing style — chains, plaid shirts,
and jet black hair. Though he came in second place in Season 8, the singer wasn't worried.
Lambert told Entertainment Weekly:
"Getting right down to the final three,
I knew that at [that] point I had so many opportunities that were going to open up for me."
A singer with an out-of-this-world range, Lambert went on to have incredible success,
from releasing several Grammy-nominated albums to becoming the new lead singer for Queen.
Though his voice is still undeniably recognizable,
his appearance is less so. Lambert ditched his black rocker hair in favor of a more
grown-up look that still showcases all the wonderful ways he is one of a kind.
According to Advocate, Jason Castro's "American Idol" audition
was one of the few times he'd ever sung in front of people. Back then,
he was just a college kid with dreadlocks and a big dream of a career in music.
Since coming in fourth place in Season 7, the singer and guitar player has released
three solo albums and toured around the world. He also married his college sweetheart, Mandy,
and had four children together. But then, after almost 10 years working in music,
Castro and his wife traded it all in for a quiet life in his hometown with a job in real estate.
Castro revealed in an interview with Advocate:
"My wife and I were both ready for a change. It was a very difficult change
because my identity was wrapped up in music. It was all I had ever done."
Castro not only transformed his career,
but also his appearance — doing away with his dreadlocks for a shorter haircut.
Fans knew right away that Crystal Bowersox would go far
on Season 9 of "American Idol." The singer's folk sound and unique look — dreadlocks,
piercings, and plenty of flower-child apparel — set her apart from the competition. However,
Bowersox ended up taking second place. Sadly, the single mom released three albums that only
generated decent reviews. Then, she announced she was getting divorced from her husband.
Bowersox took this hardship in stride, transforming her life and her appearance to be
almost completely unrecognizable. She bravely came out as bisexual in an interview on "Good Day LA”
"I have been bisexual for, I dunno, as long as I can remember."
Junior high wasn’t the best of experiences.
"I just remember being made fun of in junior high for that, and it was
something that was shameful. And it really shouldn't be".
Bowersox transformed her look as well: She traded her dreads in favor of a medium-length haircut.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more List videos about your fave celebs
are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.