Unbelievable comeback shocks America! Teen faced double rejection on ‘American Idol’—then returned for a jaw-dropping rise to runner-up, stealing hearts nationwide. How did this underdog defy the odds and captivate millions? The inspiring journey you won’t believe—discover the secrets behind TV’s most talked-about redemption story!

He turned his ‘American Idol’ rejection into a runner-up finish with hard work and his mother’s unwavering support

(L-R) Photo of Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood and Lionel Richie from ‘American Idol’ (Cover image source: Instagram | @AmericanIdol)

‘American Idol’ Season 23 runner-up John Foster was turned down twice before he landed the chance to appear on the ABC singing competition. During an interview with Unfiltered with Kiran, Foster’s mother, Amanda Benoit, shed light on her son’s ‘American Idol’ journey and revealed that he’d auditioned for the singing competition twice before finally making it before the judges in season 23. “He didn’t make it past the open call that first time. But I’ll never forget how excited I was. I left work early that day. We had everything set up, and my heart was pounding. I just had so much faith in him—even when he didn’t quite believe in himself yet,” Benoit recalled.

Initially, Foster was rejected by the show’s producers during a Zoom call, which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The next year, the Louisiana native auditioned again, and he made it through the first rounds. However, Foster faced elimination for the second time before he could sing in front of the judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood. Both times, Foster failed to get a Golden Ticket from the judges.

Despite his early setbacks, Foster didn’t give up; he auditioned for the third time and impressed both the judges and the studio audience. During his audition for ‘American Idol’ Season 23, he performed a rendition of ‘Don’t Rock the Jukebox’ by Alan Jackson. Following his performance, Underwood said, “Alan Jackson was my first concert in 1994. I was 11, love me some Alan. Do you perhaps have another song that kind of showcases your vocals a little more?” to which Foster replied, “I can certainly do that for you.”

Soon after, Foster sang ‘Goodbye Time’ by Conway Twitty, and he wowed the judges with his performance with Underwood, saying, “I got the information that I wanted out of that. There’s such a sweet spot in your voice that that song really brought out. If you end up going through to Hollywood, when we ask you to sing different genres, like be yourself for sure. But definitely, think about how you’re going to navigate different situations.”

Then, Richie echoed the same sentiments and shared, “Carrie’s right. I want to hear more of who you are, and I mean, I love the timber, but you’ve got to carve your way out now and start making your sound.” At last, Bryan quipped, “Lionel said what my heart was thinking. I don’t know if, vocally, it’s there to make it through many, many rounds of ‘American Idol,’ but I think you’ve got a nice voice. You’ve got a lot of great tools. That last song certainly showed us that.”

This time, Foster was successful in getting a Golden Ticket to Hollywood from the judges. Throughout the show, Foster stunned the judges as well as fans with some incredible performances, but he failed to clinch the winner’s title, finishing in second place. Regardless of that, Foster’s mother, Benoit, remains grateful to ‘American Idol’ for giving her son a platform to showcase his talent. Benoit continued, “American Idol gave him the stage, but John’s heart gave people something to hold on to. He’s just getting started, and I can’t wait to see where he goes next.”