What To Know
- Mary Jo Young is auditioning for Season 24 of American Idol after previously being eliminated from Season 19.
- In TV Insider’s exclusive sneak peek, she explains why she’s ready to come back to the show.
- Mary Jo forgot the words to her duet with Benson Boone, but still made the Top 24, the first time she was on Idol.
Fans who regularly watch American Idol will recognize one of the contestants who auditions in Season 24. In TV Insider’s exclusive preview of what’s to come, Mary Jo Young returns to the show for another shot.
“We know you!” Lionel Richie says when Mary Jo walks into the room. He and Luke Bryan were both judges when the 24-year-old last appeared on the singing competition in Season 19.
During her last go on American Idol, Mary Jo received three yeses from Richie, Bryan, and Katy Perry during her audition. She moved onto Hollywood Week, where she performed a disastrous duet with Benson Boone. During the performance, she forgot the lyrics to the song they were singing.
However, Mary Jo still advanced in the competition. In fact, she made it all the way to the Top 24 before she was eliminated.
ABC
“When it came to an end, it was a good kicking the baby bird out of its nest because I needed to go and grow,” Mary Jo reflects in the Season 24 preview. “I feel like a new person. I’ve been touring. I opened for Alex Warren, JVKE, Jessie Murph. I feel like my confidence has definitely grown, too.”
Richie offers her some sound advice. “You’re going to get knocked down and you might get knocked out. Don’t take it personal. Just come back in the ring. That’s what it’s all about.”
Mary Jo does just that with her new audition. She sings an original song, “Don’t Call Me,” and leaves the judges (Bryan, Richie, and Carrie Underwood) with smiles on their faces. “I wanted to come back to American Idol because I learned the most from being on the show than I have on any tour,” Mary Jo admits.
We’ll find out whether Mary Jo makes it to Hollywood Week for a second time when the Auditions conclude during the Monday, February 16, episode.
American Idol, Season 24, Mondays, 8/7c, ABC
