<p id=”par-1_39″>The country has spoken. On Sunday, singing competition show <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/american-idol/?swcfpc=1″><em>American Idol</em></a><em> </em>crowned a new winner. Jamal Roberts, a 27-year-old crooner from Meridian, Mississippi, beat out <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/american-idol-2025-top-3.html/”>fellow finalists John Foster and Breanna Nix</a> to take home this season’s top prize. </p>
<p id=”par-2_81″>It was a tough contest. After Nix was eliminated midway through the grand finale episode, the competition was down to Roberts and Foster, an 18-year-old from Addis, Louisiana. Foster moved the audience with a performance of his original song “Tell That Angel I Love Her,” while Roberts wowed with a powerful performance of his new single “Heal.” Roberts ultimately triumphed in the final round, which generated more votes than any other finale in <em>American Idol </em>history, according to <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/american-idol-ryan-seacrest-allegedly-ensures-carrie-underwood-avoids-pitfalls-stays-golden-fans.html/”>host Ryan Seacrest</a>. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-jamal-roberts-reacts-to-his-american-idol-season-23-win”>Jamal Roberts reacts to his ‘American Idol’ Season 23 win </h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio” id=”emb-1″><div class=”wp-block-embed__wrapper”>
<iframe loading=”lazy” title=’Jamal Roberts Performs His New Single “Heal” – American Idol 2025 Grand Finale’ width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/l2yeSVYY8QU?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<p id=”par-3_12″>Roberts is still pinching himself after his big win on live TV. </p>
<p id=”par-4_17″>“I’m still trying to process this… God is so good,” he wrote in a post-finale <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ0f4gis92s/?hl=en” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Instagram</a> post. </p>
<p id=”par-5_53″>“From my first step on that stage to this unbelievable moment, I never dreamed a kid from my hometown would one day be called American Idol,” he continued. “This journey has been bigger than me, and I’m so grateful for every person who believed in me when I was just chasing a dream.”</p>
<p id=”par-6_35″>Roberts, a PE teacher and dad of three, also gave a shout-out to his daughters, saying that he hoped “my girls see this and know that with faith, hard work, and heart, anything is possible.”</p>
<p id=”par-7_58″>“To my city, my family, and everyone out there grinding for something greater, this is our victory,” Roberts added. “Now, I get to make music with the best in the world and share my story. But this isn’t the end… it’s just the beginning. From the bottom of my heart…. THANK YOU! None of this happens without y’all.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-american-idol-2025-winner-recently-welcomed-a-daughter”>‘American Idol’ 2025 winner recently welcomed a daughter </h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-2″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Jamal-Roberts-American-Idol-Daughters.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Jamal Roberts holding his two young daughters, dressed in pink, after his ‘American Idol’ Season 23 win” class=”wp-image-3810080″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Jamal Roberts with his daughters on ‘American Idol’ Season 23 | Disney/Christopher Willard</figcaption></figure>
<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
<p class=”related-article__title”>
<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/american-idol-fans-think-carrie-underwood-serious-beef-lionel-richie-not-unsee.html/”>
‘American Idol’ Fans Think Carrie Underwood Has Serious Beef With Lionel Richie: ‘You Can’t Unsee It’ </a>
</p>
</div>
<p id=”par-8_44″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/american-idol-winners-runners-up-list-who-won-each-season.html/”>Winning <em>American Idol</em></a><em> </em>is a massive career achievement. But it might not be the most exciting thing to happen to Roberts in recent days. Shortly before the season 23 finale, the singer shared that he’d recently become a dad to a third little girl. </p>
<p id=”par-9_37″>“Hey world, meet my little ladybug, Gianna Grace Roberts. I’m so proud to be her father,” he shared on <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/DJuyh2XhDSa/?hl=en&img_index=1″ target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Instagram</a> on May 16, along with a photo of his new baby in a ladybug onesie and headband. </p>
<p id=”par-10_23″>“I’m going to see my daughter, Gianna,” Roberts told <a href=”https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2025/05/19/jamal-roberts-baby-american-idol-2025-winner/83721173007/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>USA Today</a> after the finale. “I’ve got a lot of making up to do.”</p>
<p id=”par-11_32″>In addition to Gianna, who was born a little over a week ago, Roberts also has daughters Harmoni and Lyriq, who were in the audience for their dad’s big <em>American Idol </em>win. </p>
<p id=”par-12_11″>The<em> American Idol </em>Season 23 finale is now streaming on Hulu. </p>
<p id=”par-13_11″><em>For more news and exclusive interviews, follow </em><a href=”https://www.instagram.com/showbizcheatsheet/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”><em>Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram</em></a><em>.</em></p>