From Contestant To Judge on "American Idol"

No one I know every speaks about American Idol anymore. Once one of the most popular shows across the nation, American Idol has fallen down a steep cliff. Its finale last year became its lowest-rated episode all time of when it attracted only 6.6 million viewers. This year, American Idol is trying desperately to attract more viewers by adding new elements to the show. Tonight, I watched as American Idol made history by featuring the first judge ever to have previously competed on the show. Adam Lambert, the Idol Season 8 runner-up to Kris Allen, had the opportunity to appear on the judges' panel for an episode in place of Keith Urban. Harry Connick Jr., one of the judges on the show, told Lambert, "I cannot stop thinking about what you must be thinking sitting behind this desk because you're the only person who's done this on both sides."  Lambert could see the show in a completely different light than any other judge having experienced the Idol journey himself.

While on the show, Lambert even recreated his audition by singing "Bohemian Rhapsody" in front of his fellow judges Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. After "auditioning" once again, Lambert claimed that he had forgotten just how many nerves everyone faced during the audition process. That moment reminded him of his life before fame; he was able to empathize with the contestants like no other judge before him. Today, Adam Lambert is fronting Queen, a gig not given to just your "ordinary singer".  After season 8, no one on American Idol has even gotten close to achieving the fame of Lambert or some of his predecessors, such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, or Jordin Sparks. Maybe American Idol should include more of these successful former contestants on the judges' panel to attract more viewers? The show would have a completely different vibe and would probably be more interesting to watch.