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Carrie Underwood Reveals Most Exciting Part About Return to \u2018American Idol\u2019 (Exclusive)<\/p>\n
A new American Idol<\/em><\/a> winner is stepping into the spotlight.<\/p>\n Host Ryan Seacrest<\/strong><\/a> announced Jamal Roberts<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0as the season 23 champion during the May 18 finale as judges Carrie Underwood<\/strong><\/a>, Lionel Richie<\/strong><\/a> and Luke Bryan<\/strong><\/a> cheered.<\/p>\n To take the title, Roberts beat out finalist John Foster<\/strong>, as well as Breanna Nix<\/strong>, who was eliminated earlier in the night.<\/p>\n Ahead of the finale, which featured performances by Foster, Nix, Roberts, Good Charlotte<\/strong>, Jessica Simpson<\/strong>, Jelly Roll<\/strong> and Patti LaBelle<\/strong>, among others, Underwood\u2014who won the Idol<\/em> title in 2005\u2014offered a piece of advice to the top three contestants.<\/p>\n “Just hang on,” she told E! News<\/em> after “Disney Night” May 12. “Right now, it’s such a tough time for them because they don’t even get a chance to relax tonight.”<\/p>\n “They’re gonna fly home, they’re thinking about what they’re going to do for the finale,” Underwood explained. “They’re trying to figure out their songs, their arrangements\u2014worried about all that stuff, they’re gonna have press to do. There’s just so many things going on.”<\/p>\n And while the finalists had a lot to juggle this past week, the Grammy winner noted that it’s only a preview of what’s to come.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n