The latest episode of “American Idol” saw a brief crossover with “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” when Britani Bateman showed up to support her 20-year-old niece in auditioning.
‘RHOSLC’ star Britani Bateman joins niece on ‘American Idol’
“I have an announcement,” Bateman told the “Idol” judges as she clanked a knife against a glass — a signature move of hers on “RHOSLC” — before introducing her niece, Carmen Lorell Martin during Monday night’s episode.
“Idol” judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie didn’t seem to know who Bateman was. After the Provo, Utah, native told them, the judges invited her to stand by the piano while Martin auditioned.
Bateman was visibly emotional as her niece from El Dorado Hills, California, sat at the piano and sang Ty Myers’ “Thought It Was Love.”
Underwood praised Martin’s voice and range, but said she wanted more “oomph” in the performance. To further convince the judges, the aspiring singer brought her aunt into the spotlight for a duet of “Let Me Be Your Star” from the musical “Smash.”
The move wasn’t completely out of left field. Bateman — who in the early aughts starred in Latter-day Saint-themed comedies including “The R.M.” and “Mobsters and Mormons” — released a holiday EP in 2024 and launched a one-woman show in New York this past December, per E! News.
After the duet, Bryan said he still thought Martin could afford to “cut loose a little bit” and that sitting behind the piano made her a little “proper.” But, as Underwood said, the singer’s voice earned her a “yes,” so the judges sent her through to the next round.
“I think that the only way she’s going to actually understand this thing called roughing up is to put her in a brawl,” Richie said. “The only way to put you in a brawl is to say yes, so you can go to the next level and meet the rest of this crazy class.”
Martin will next appear during the Hollywood Week round of “Idol,” which premieres Feb. 23, per People.