It’s been over a week since Jamal Roberts took home the crown as the winner of American Idol Season 23 — but there’s one major piece of the victory he’s still waiting on.
“No, I haven’t received it. Don’t know where it is,” Roberts, 27, told Us Weekly on Tuesday, May 27, when asked about his $250,000 prize money. “I’m interested in knowing.”
Despite the delay, Roberts isn’t letting the missing check dull his shine. When the money does arrive, he says he has no plans for flashy purchases.
“I’m gonna put it in the bank,” he shared simply, showing the same grounded, humble spirit that won over Idol viewers nationwide.
From Mississippi to Magic
Roberts won the title on May 18, beating out talented finalists John Foster and Breanna Nix with his emotional rendition of Tom Odell’s “Heal” during the ABC finale. Though only Roberts will receive the monetary prize, both he and Foster were awarded a vacation for four aboard the Disney Wish cruise — complete with gourmet dining, immersive entertainment, Disney characters, and a private island stay at Castaway Cay.
Still processing the life-changing moment, Roberts admitted it all feels surreal.
“I say it to myself every day, ‘Did I just win American Idol?’ I’m like, ‘Do I keep dreaming?’ It’s always been a dream, and now it’s a reality.”
“Daddy Win”: A Victory Shared at Home
While millions across the country cast their votes for Roberts, his most loyal fans were cheering from home — his three young daughters.
“All they know is ‘Daddy win.’ That’s what they say,” he said with a laugh. “They don’t really get the concept of what was going on. They just knew I was gone a long time. And that I won.”
After the confetti fell and the cameras turned off, Roberts didn’t celebrate with a celebrity party. Instead, he returned to his small-town roots in Meridian, Mississippi, and marked the moment with a hot fish sandwich, then rushed to reunite with his kids.
“I went to get my kids and take them to the house so we could spend time with each other,” he said.
Looking Ahead
Though Roberts will hit the road next month to appear at CMA Fest in Nashville, his current focus is entirely on his daughters — the youngest of whom is just 3 weeks old.
“They have my whole heart,” he said.
With his Idol journey behind him and a music career ahead, Jamal Roberts remains anchored in what matters most: faith, family, and staying true to who he is.
