Jimmie Allen to Serve as Guest Mentor on Season 20 of ‘American Idol’
Jimmie Allen is heading to American Idol! The country star shared a video this week confirming that he will serve as a guest mentor for contestants on season 20 of the famed singing competition show. Specifically, Allen will provide guidance to Idol hopefuls during a special week that will take place at Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Allen made the announcement from the tropical resort while Minnie Mouse danced behind him.
“Hey y’all, Jimmie Allen here,” he wrote alongside the video. “I’ll be a guest mentor on @AmericanIdol for the iconic 20th season! Tune in and catch me at @DisneyAulani. Hope y’all are as pumped as I am for this year’s talent.”
Additionally, the show announced that Bebe Rexha has also been chosen to mentor contestants in Hawaii. The celebrity mentors will not be joined by former in-house mentor Bobby Bones, who announced his exit due to a conflicting opportunity.
Allen is no stranger to the American Idol franchise. He auditioned for the show during its 10th season, earning a golden ticket to Hollywood before being eliminated after the Top 40 performances. However, the singer has since returned to the Idol stage multiple times to perform with contestants. Allen told The Ellen DeGeneres Show that although he wasn’t a contestant when he returned, he still found himself nervous to sing in front of the judges.
“Going back and singing my own music this time, I still felt like I was being judged,” he shared. “I was nervous, like, ‘They’re about to send me home again, man!’ I got PTSD, bro. I was sitting there freaking out.”
American Idol season 20 will premiere on ABC on February 27. Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie will return as judges, and Ryan Seacrest returns as the show’s long-standing host.
