“American Idol” Alum Noah Thompson Returned To The Show During Its Season 23 Finale Episode

American Idol’s Season 23 finale aired on Sunday, May 18, and the night was full of incredible moments and special guests.

One familiar face for longtime fans was former champion Noah Thompson, who returned to the stage three years after winning the show himself.

Noah Thompson was crowned the champion of American Idol during its twentieth season. The country singer from Kentucky hadn’t planned to audition, but a friend secretly signed him up. It turns out, that unexpected move would change Noah’s life forever.

Carrie Underwood Invites Noah Thompson To Make His Opry Debut

Fast-forward to now, and Noah is building a successful music career of his own. He recently released his new EP “Kids Like Me” and came back to American Idol to promote it… or so he thought.

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During a segment of the finale episode, Noah stood behind the judges and host Ryan Seacrest, chatting about life after Idol and his new music. What he didn’t know was that Carrie Underwood had a special surprise planned just for him. 

Noah and Carrie actually go back to his days as a contestant of the show, when she mentored him during part of the competition. So, it was a full-circle moment when she surprised him with an invitation to make his Grand Ole Opry debut.

“You, of course, are a very beloved member of our Idol family,” Carrie began. “And now you’re going to be a part of another amazing family in the Grand Ole Opry, where you are going to make your debut performance on the Opry stage.”

Everyone clapped and cheered for Noah after hearing the exciting news, and of course, the 23-year-old was completely shocked to receive such an honor.

Noah joked that he knew his manager “had been hiding something from me for the past couple of months.”

Noah Thompson will have his debut performance at the Grand Ole Opry on May 31.