What To Know About Hallmark Star Lauren Alaina's Stint On American Idol

Hallmark fans will recognize Lauren Alaina from her debut on the network, "Roadhouse Romance," which had a personal impact on her family since her father, J.J. Suddeth, served in the Army — much like her onscreen character. The film world isn't how Alaina got her entertainment industry start, however. Before becoming a country music star and appearing in various movies, Alaina was on "American Idol" as a teenager. She became the runner-up in Season 10, placing just behind that season's winner, Scotty McCreery.

In 2020, Alaina was interviewed on the "Biscuits & Jam" podcast from Southern Living and discussed her time on the long-running reality competition show. The singer and actor was asked if she expected to win. Alaina denied that and said, "Well, actually I said from the time I was like six years old that I was gonna be on 'American Idol' and I always make jokes and I say that I 'rallied my troops' for years and years and years."

She called the experience "surreal," admitting it changed her life very fast. "I was so young and there were so many things happening and then I signed a record deal, and I started traveling, and I was doing concerts," Alaina noted, mentioning going on tour with Jason Aldean. The stunning Alaina also felt that being on "American Idol" was great preparation for her current career in the music industry. However, it wasn't all positive.

Elsewhere in her "Biscuits & Jam" interview, Lauren Alaina revealed that she dealt with criticism and negativity from being on "American Idol." But fortunately, even that had an upside. "I think it was important for me as well at a young age to learn not to care what other people have to say about me, and just to only care about what I have to say about me," the Hallmark star reasoned. "American Idol" was a formative experience and getting her music industry start at just 15 years old allowed Alaina to devote her young adult years to perfecting her craft. 

Alaina took to X, formerly known as Twitter, in 2021 to share a throwback video from her audition day in 2011. The person who got Alaina involved with singing — her cousin Holly — was at the audition and got to stand in the room while other family members waited outside. The video describing a bit about Alaina before she sang explained how she and Holly were incredibly close, but that Holly was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which was hard on the whole family.

Alaina sang "Like We Never Loved at All" by Faith Hill, and judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler unsurprisingly raved about her performance. All three of them voted for Alaina to advance to the next round. Jackson even commended Holly for encouraging her cousin to start singing, enthusing, "I mean, you've got real, natural, God-given talent." 

Shockingly, despite her demonstrable self-confidence, Lauren Alaina almost missed out on performing in the "American Idol" Season 10 finale. Just one hour before showtime, rumors circulated that Alaina was sick and Haley Reinhart, the third-place winner, was gearing up to take her place. At rehearsals, Alaina wasn't able to properly belt it out, as Michael Orland, the associate music director, informed Entertainment Weekly. When it came time for dress rehearsal, the judges accepted Alaina wouldn't practice fully so that she'd be ready for later. 

As Orland recalled, "So I went up there and said, 'You're fine. The judges are fine. Save everything for tonight.' [Alaina] says, 'I don't have anything to save. There's nothing coming out right now.'" Thankfully, the doctor on set was able to help, confirming that the Hallmark star "blew out one of her vocal cords" but that she was ultimately able to perform after being properly medicated. Looking back on the alarming situation, Alaina later detailed, "I went on vocal rest, drank lots of tea, had medical assistance, and most of all, prayed about it," (via Taste of Country).

On the anniversary of her "American Idol" audition, in 2024, Alaina took to TikTok for another fun throwback. She shared a compilation of her career journey from "American Idol" to the present day, which boasted the caption: "13 years of memories, adventures, and many more to come." For more info on Alaina's life nowadays, check out the Hallmark star's beau, Cam Arnold.