The American Idol auditions for this season wrapped pup with a first for the show – an emotional support animal.
The American Idol auditions for the current season wrapped pup with something new – an emotional support animal attending an audition.
This ESA dog, still in training, was a French Bulldog named Nova, who was there with her owner Aliana Jester, a teenager from Tampa.
Jester sang the Motown classic “Who’s Lovin’ You,” written by Smokey Robinson and originally performed by The Miracles in 1960, but more well known by the version done by The Jackson 5 nine years later.
Nova wasn’t sure about the shiny slick floor or the bright lights, planting herself with her back facing the judges, though she did give a little yip once the song was through.
Lionel Richie compared Jester’s performance to a young version of Whitney Houston.
American Idol is in what ABC is calling season 3 (the network renumbered it when they took it over), but it’s technically season 18.
As an avid fan of the show who has watched since season 6, this is the first time an emotional support dog has been featured or mentioned that we are aware of.
This came one week after the singing show that took over the top spot in public consciousness, The Voice, featured coach Blake Shelton trying to bribe a contestant into joining his team with the offer of a puppy named Snowflake.
Judge Katy Perry has a miniature Poodle named Nugget who has starred in one of her music videos, and Luke Bryan adopted a senior dog named Poochie from a Nashville shelter last spring.
It remains to be seen how the will coronavirus affect the end of this season once the live portion should have begun, but for now Idol airs on ABC at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday and Monday nights.
For more on emotional support animal guidelines, see this page from the ADA, and for more TV coverage from the FanSided Network, see our sister site Hidden Remote.