Season 10 American Idol Winner Scotty McCreery is ‘Still a Huge Fan’ of the Show That Made Him Famous

Scotty McCreery recently revealed that 14 years after his “American Idol” win, he and his wife, Gabi Dugal, still watch the show. “Yeah, we still watch [‘American Idol’]. I’m still a huge fan, but my wife’s gonna watch every week,” the singer shared with Us Weekly. 

McCreery, who beat out singer-songwriter Lauren Alaina for the “American Idol” crown in 2011, admitted he still reminisces about his time as a contestant on the show. The singer explained he’d stumbled upon some old emails that brought back a lot of memories. “It was all the audition information and going to Hollywood and here’s what you need to do for this. … It was all the itineraries … I was like, ‘Man, pretty crazy how time flies.’”

Scotty McCreery’s Career is Still Thriving

Since winning “American Idol,” at age 17, Scotty McCreery has gone on to release six albums and has won multiple awards, including Best New Artist at the ACM Awards in 2012 and a CMT Music Award in 2024 for First Performance of the Year.

McCreery is currently touring the U.S. and recently collaborated with the fan-favorite ‘90s band Hootie and the Blowfish on a new song called “Bottle Rockets.” “I grew up loving Hootie & the Blowfish, and we wrote this song with [lead singer Darius Rucker] in mind,” McCreery shared. “This was a lot of fun, something different for ’em, but we’ve never really done a song like this. It turned out pretty cool.”

McCreery also achieved an impressive career milestone in 2024 when he was inducted as a member of The Grand Ole Opry. The honor was a lifelong dream come true for McCreery, whose emotions were on full display during the induction ceremony. “Y’all, this night is, is just … it’s unbelievable,” he told the audience.

Dad Life is Scotty McCreery’s Priority

Although his career hasn’t slowed down since his “American Idol” win, McCreery’s newest role as a husband and father has taken center stage in his life. The singer married his childhood sweetheart Gabi Dugal in 2018 and the couple welcomed their first child, a son named Avery, in 2022.

“It’s the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me for sure,” McCreery said about becoming a dad. And there is more joy on the way for the McCreery family, as they announced in May they were expecting another baby. Having two is gonna be insane. … It’s the coolest, best thing I’ve ever done is being a dad,” the singer revealed to Us Weekly.