Tori Kelly Returns To ‘American Idol’ As A Guest Mentor After Suffering “Unexpected” Health Scare Last Summer

Singer and actress Tori Kelly will be returning to where it all started: American Idol.

Entertainment Tonight reports that Kelly will be joining Season 22 as a guest judge to help guide contestants to victory, using her own expertise as a former contestant on the show. She will also be performing.

Kelly competed on Season 9 when she was just 18 years old. She was eliminated after making it to the Top 24, but she wasted no time in launching her music career, later earning two Grammy Awards for her gospel music.

Kelly will appear at the Aulani: Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai’i where judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan will get to see the contestants perform.

This news comes just months after Kelly suffered a “serious” medical scare while out to dinner in July 2023.

TMZ reported in July 2023 that the singer suddenly collapsed while having dinner with friends. She was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where doctors discovered blood clots in her lungs and legs.

The singer shared a statement on social media a few days after her hospitalization, writing, “As you may have heard, I’m dealing with some unexpected health challenges. It’s been a scary few days but I can feel your prayers and can’t stop thinking about you.”

Her hospitalization unfortunately coincided with the release of her fourth EP, titled tori.

Early reports during her hospitalization claimed she was in “really serious” condition. But Kelly shared a major update months later, telling her fans that her doctors were able to get her health back to a more “manageable” place so she could return to singing.

Kelly has since returned to the spotlight with a major appearance at the 66th Grammy Awards, where she performed a tribute to Mariah Carey.

American Idol premieres on ABC on Sunday, Feb. 18, with a two-hour special episode.

New episodes will premiere on ABC every Sunday at 8/7c before streaming on Hulu next day.