Summary
In an environment where judgment from the judges and the audience is the norm,American Idolstar David Archuleta has spoken out about experiencing panic attacks and PTSD after appearing on the singing competition show. David, who competed inAmerican Idolseason 7, came in second to David Cook. He soon became a household name and garnered a fan base outside of the competition show. After recently coming out as LGBTQ+ and appearing inThe Masked Singerseason 9,David has spoken out about things he wasn’t able to express during and after his time on the popular singing show.
American Idolseason 7 runner-up David Archuleta revealed his experience with PTSD and emotional trauma from his time on the hit reality competition show.
In an interview withForbes, David revealed that he still experiences panic attacks and trust issues from his time onAmerican Idol. He said, “You’re programmed not to trust people when you’re on the show, at least at the time we were on it.” He also revealed that he’s not alone in his experiences and that other contestants fromAmerican Idolhave also expressed similar experiences.The trauma they felt while competing onAmerican Idolended up carrying over into their post-Idollivesand still affects them to this day.
David Archuleta Admits Returning To American Idol Terrified Him
American Idol Alums Question Whether They Can Handle Returning To Show
After returning toAmerican Idolto perform his new single “Hell Together,” David admitted he was terrified about returning to theIdolstage.“I’ve spoken with former contestants who go back to appear on Idol, and they say, ‘I don’t know if I can handle this.’ And I’ve felt like that performing, too, terrified and wondering why it was affecting me that way,”he revealed.His hesitancy seemed to stem from the emotional trauma he received from his time onAmerican Idolwhile also struggling with being unable to express who he truly is.
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American Idolis a show that seems to encourage individuality and diversity. However, quite a few past contestants have expressed experiences that go against this narrative.Past contestants who have appeared onAmerican Idolhave suppressed themselves and their sexual orientationfor the sake of the competition.American Idolseason 8 contestantAdam Lambert thought being gay would hurthis chances in the competition and, in turn, denied his identity. However, after moving away fromAmerican Idoland into his career, Adam was able to fully express his true identity comfortably.
AlthoughAmerican Idolseason 22has just ended, and the contestants are finding success outside the show, their time in the competition will have a lasting impact on their lives. Whether this impact will prove to be good or bad is dependent on their individual experiences. Adam, for example, has managed to create a very successful career, both as a solo artist and with the iconic band Queen; he became the first out singer to debut an album at the top of the Billboard charts.Hopefully,American Idolhas gotten better behind the scenes with how each contestant handles the competitionmentally.
American Idol
Cast
American Idol is a reality singing competition that adds to the international “Idol” brand, conceived initially in the U.K. as Pop Idol. Holding massive auditions across the U.S., American Idol invited several contestants to perform in front of a panel of judges that would determine whether or not they’d go on to future rounds for a chance at competing in the fully televised premiere of the show. Contestants are voted off each week by American participation via voting through various mediums, and the winner of the competition would be given a contract with a record label to secure a future as America’s next musical idol.
