“Idol” Winner Hannah Harper Opens Up About Friendship With Jordan McCullough
on May 12, 2026
American Idol Crowns Its Season 24 Winner
The Season 24 finale of American Idol aired Monday (May 11), ending with the crowning of a new champion after a three-hour live event packed with performances and emotional moments.
Following appearances from celebrity guests and a special performance of “Deep River Woman” by the judges, finalists Keyla Richardson, Jordan McCullough, and Hannah Harper awaited the results of America’s vote.
Midway through the finale, host Ryan Seacrest announced that Richardson had finished in third place, leaving McCullough and Harper as the final two contestants.
As the episode came to a close, Seacrest revealed the final results on stage, officially naming Hannah Harper the winner of Season 24.
Hannah Harper & Jordan McCullough’s Friendship On Idol
A small-town girl and mother of three, Hannah quickly became one of the favorites the season. After spending much of her life singing gospel and bluegrass music with her family band, she stepped onto the Idol stage determined to pursue her own path as a singer-songwriter.
Hannah grew up traveling and performing with her family’s bluegrass group, gaining years of live performance experience before stepping away from music to focus on raising her children. Later, she began writing songs at home and sharing them online.
Balancing motherhood and music, Hannah shared her story of raising three children while chasing a dream that had long taken a back seat to family life. Her audition performance blended emotion with the vocal control and storytelling she developed through years of family performances.
Her original song, “String Cheese,” resonated with viewers everywhere, and Hannah was quickly identified as one to watch this season.
Hailing from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, runner-up Jordan McCullough began singing in church when he was just 4 years old. Before coming to Idol, he spent his time as a worship director at a local church and also auditioned for Season 17 of The Voice in 2019.
Jordan first walked into his Idol audition performing “Goodness of God,” originally released by Bethel Music and Jenn Johnson.
Hannah Refers To Jordan As Her “Therapist”
The two contestants remained close throughout the competition, so close that Hannah referred to Jordan as her “therapist.”
During a post-show interview, Hannah explained that the reason she was able to hold her composure throughout the season was due to Jordan praying over her.
“God and Jordan praying over me every single week,” she credits to getting through the season.
Hannah said that Jordan was “coaching her” more than anything. Each week, the American Idol winner admitted her friend guided her when she needed someone to listen.
