Claudia Conway has been called an "American hero," but is she the next American Idol?
The 16-year-old TikTok star, and daughter of former White House advisor Kellyanne Conway, revealed that she auditioned for the ABC singing competition this week. Now host Ryan Seacrest is teasing exactly what fans can expect from her American Idol debut.
Ryan told TMZ on Thursday, Nov. 19, that Claudia attended the audition with her dad George, who was "giving her directions." Claudia thought her father was a "very good coach," according to Ryan.
He said, "I was not in the room when she sang, but she seemed like she really wanted to be a singer," and added that the judges "certainly they knew who she was, so there was a lot to talk to her about."
He acknowledged that despite her famous mom and her 1.4 million TikTok fans, "At the end of the day, it's going to have to be based on talent."
We'll have to see how her TikTok lip-syncing skills compare to her live singing voice! Her fate is in the hands of the three judges—Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Katy Perry—to determine how far she'll go.
Season 19 of American Idol began filming in October, just two months after Katy welcomed her first child with Orlando Bloom.
Katy announced on her Instagram Story that Claudia would be competing on the show. The "Roar" singer said on Monday, "Well, well, well, let the games begin because Claudia just tried out for American Idol."
As for Claudia, she documented her journey on TikTok by explaining, "I met Ryan Seacrest today and I have my audition soon, so stay tuned for that... I'm very very nervous but I'm very excited."
American Idol is set to premiere on Feb. 14, 2021.