American Idol host Ryan Seacrest came out in defense of 2025 contestant Baylee Littrell after he received allegations of nepotism.
Littrell, the son of Backstreet Boys star Brian Littrell, auditioned with an original song in a Season 23 episode of the American singing reality show, which aired on March 9. The 22-year-old impressed all three judges and secured their votes to move forward in the competition.
After some painted Littrell's famous father as the reason for his success on American Idol, Seacrest defended the star, saying on X that "a name may open a door" before adding, "It's what you do once you walk through it that truly matters:"
"A name may open a door, but it’s what you do once you walk through it that truly matters. Baylee Littrell isn’t just following in his father’s footsteps—he’s carving out his own path."
The host followed up with a second post featuring a picture of him and the Littrell family, writing, "Music runs in the Littrell family! A legendary last name, a powerful original song."
Controversy has been rife on social media around Littrell's inclusion on American Idol, with many claiming the series is designed to spotlight new talent and that Littrell's parentage and past experience gives him an advantage.
The younger Littrell appeared on Broadway in the musical Disaster!, opened for the Backstreet Boys during the DNA World Tour in North America, and released a solo album titled 770 Country in 2019.
During Littrell's audition, the American Idol judges (Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan) requested he bring his father in to sing a duet, which they did, adding to the star power of the episode. However, the judges ensured to reiterate that Littrell's talent was the key to his success, rather than his last name.
Underwood said during the audition that Brian's appearance "would make [anybody else] look bad" but praised Littrell for matching his father:
"For your superstar singer dad to come in here, I feel like for anybody else it would make you look bad, but it didn't. You were right there with him. You didn't pale, you didn't shy away, you were like this is my moment."
Underwood reiterated this sentiment on social media, saying on X she wanted Littrell to "know he had his own talent to stand on:"
"Not gonna lie, I saw the name on the sheet and when he walked in thought he looked awfully familiar. More than anything, I wanted Baylee to know he had his own talent to stand on…such a pure and gentle voice."
It remains to be seen how far into the American Idol competition Littrell will get, particularly with new voices like Slater Nally heating up the roster.
New episodes of American Idol are released on Sundays on ABC.
