American Idol is a singing competition that first aired in 2002 and is the US version of Pop Idol which ran for just two series in the UK from 2001 to 2003.
It’s one of the most successful shows ever on American television and aims to find talent in unsigned artists across the country.
Each series starts with the initial auditions where performers get to showcase their talents in front of the judges. If successful, the contestants get invited to Hollywood week where they are asked to perform in both groups and solo in a bid to make it through to the finals where ultimately, one singer will be determined as the winner based on the public vote and the judges.
The show is extremely popular both in the US, the UK and across the world and so it’s no surprise to see people wanting to bet on American Idol. Thankfully, several betting sites take bets on who will win and various other markets and this guide will show you which bookies are best to place your bets with along with information about American Idol 2026.
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If you’re in the UK and looking to bet on American Idol, you have several options.
All of the American Idol betting sites below are recommended by WhichBookie and have a positive reputation within the UK.
One good thing about betting with a bookmaker that you haven’t used before is that you’ll be able to claim the free bet offers that are available to new customers which can allow you to place additional bets and increase your chances of returning a profit from your bets.
Click below to head straight to a bookmaker to place bets on American Idol or keep reading to find out more about series 24 which is coming in 2026.
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The 24th series of American Idol is set to hit our screens on Monday 26th January 2026 and will be televised on a weekly basis at 8pm ET.
That means UK viewers will have to stay up until the early hours of the morning, 1am to be exact, to watch the show live on ABC. However, American Idol can also be streamed via the ABC app or via Hulu and so catchup is available.
Judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan are all set to return in the 2026 series along with American Idol host, Ryan Seacrest.
As American Idol 2026 hasn’t started yet, we do not know who this year’s contestants are.
The audition stages will take place from the first episode and we’ll begin to find out which singers make it through to Hollywood week in the episodes that follow.
There have been 23 seasons of American Idol that have produced as many winners.
Although several of the show’s winners such as Kelly Clarkson have gone on to high levels of fame, many contestants who didn’t win have had extremely successful careers with some examples being Season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert and Season 3 seventh-placed finisher Jennifer Hudson.
A list of previous American Idol winners can be found below.
| Season | Year | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002 | Kelly Clarkson |
| 2 | 2003 | Ruben Studdard |
| 3 | 2004 | Fantasia Barrino |
| 4 | 2005 | Carrie Underwood |
| 5 | 2006 | Taylor Hicks |
| 6 | 2007 | Jordin Sparks |
| 7 | 2008 | David Cook |
| 8 | 2009 | Kris Allen |
| 9 | 2010 | Lee DeWyze |
| 10 | 2011 | Scotty McCreery |
| 11 | 2012 | Phillip Phillips |
| 12 | 2013 | Candice Glover |
| 13 | 2014 | Caleb Johnson |
| 14 | 2015 | Nick Fradiani |
| 15 | 2016 | Trent Harmon |
| 16 | 2018 | Maddie Poppe |
| 17 | 2019 | Laine Hardy |
| 18 | 2020 | Just Sam |
| 19 | 2021 | Chayce Beckham |
| 20 | 2022 | Noah Thompson |
| 21 | 2023 | Iam Tongi |
| 22 | 2024 | Abi Carter |
| 23 | 2025 | Jamal Roberts |
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When it comes to betting on American Idol, there are several different options to choose from.
The most popular bet is on the winner or the show but bookmakers often also provide odds for the gender or the winner, the next contestant to leave the show and much more.
You can bet on the winner of American Idol right from the first episode but many prefer to wait until at least Hollywood week. By doing so, you should have a better idea of how good the contestants are and how liked they are by both the judges and the public.
However, if you do place your bets early on in the show, you’re likely to be offered bigger odds as there are more chances remaining for them to be eliminated.
Another popular bet is on the next contestant to be eliminated which is a market that most bookies provide.
During the later stages of the show, you can usually get an idea of which singers are hanging by a thread and at an increased risk of being eliminated in the near future.
Some bookmakers may offer odds on Special bets or Novelty bets during the show such as the colour of Katy Perry’s outfit in the final. These can be fun bets to place amongst friends and family if you are planning on watching the show together.
As American Idol 2026 has not yet started, we do not know who the contestants will be and so the bookies haven’t released the odds.
Once the show has started and singers make it through to Hollywood week and beyond, you’ll find the latest American Idol odds on the websites of any of the betting sites listed on this page.
Betting on American Idol is easy thanks to several online bookmakers taking bets on the show.
Although all of the betting sites listed on this page are reputable and trustworthy, our recommendation is Betfred who have an extremely generous welcome offer available to all new customers and who take bets on various TV shows such as Love Island, I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here, Dancing On Ice, The X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing, Britain’s Got Talent, The Voice UK, The Masked Singer and many others.
Click below to bet on American Idol 2026 with Betfred.
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