Adam Lambert Guest Judges on ‘American Idol’: 7 Highlights

Lisa Timmons | January 16, 2015 6:34 am
Adam Announces New Album
Adam's third album will be executive produced by Max Martin.

Hot on the news that he signed a deal with Warner Bros. records and is planning to drop his third studio album this summer (with Max Martin at the helm and a single on the way this April — woo hoo!) , former finalist Adam Lambert turned up to the fourth round of auditions for American Idol in New York City in last night’s episode.

Adam was filling in for an absent Keith Urban, and regular judges Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. welcomed the “Whataya Want From Me” singer with open arms. Upon his arrival, Lopez told Lambert with a smile, “Welcome to the other side of the table.”

As the first former contestant to return as a guest judge, Adam delivered some memorable moments for TV viewers and, most importantly, his loyal fans. We rounded up just a few of them below!

1. Adam stepped out in an an electric blue suit that perfectly matched his sky blue eyes.

Adam Lambert American Idol 2015 judge

2. Harry joked with one of the contestant’s good luck toy bear and tried to get Adam to play with it, prompting the former contestant to saucily reply, “I’m really not into bears.”

3. Adam joked that JLo was peeking at his notes,when she took the words right out of his mouth for a critique of a contestant.

4. Talking down a nervous contestant who was having a meltdown before singing her song, Adam sweetly told her, “Relax, girl. Take a deep breath. This is your chance, but you gotta just enjoy it.” Great advice.

5. Just getting to see Adam make a decision on a contestant one way or the other was a treat, whether it was “You’re going to Hollywood!” or “I think you’re just not ready.”

6. Watching Adam joke about how blunt his critiques have been was a wicked delight. “I’m a dick today,” he said, which was followed by a delightful montage of him rejecting contestants.

7. The real highlight: His agreeing to audition for Harry and JLo with the song that won him his golden ticket in Idol’s 2009 Season, “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, ending with Jennifer showering him a handful of well-deserved golden tickets.

And with that, Adam proved that he has more than earned his spot at the table.

What did you think of his turn as judge on Idol? Let us know below!

Get an eyeful of even more pop music coverage, from artist interviews to exclusive performances, on Idolator’s YouTube channel.