Jimmie Allen Will Be a Mentor on Season 20 of 'American Idol'

Jimmie Allen will be a mentor on the upcoming new season of American Idol. He shared the news on Tuesday (Feb. 15) from Disney's Aulani Resort & Spa in Hawaii, where he filmed a video with Minnie Mouse waving from the background.

"Cannot wait for you guys to see the talent they have in store for you," Allen says in the clip.

On Twitter, Idol also also shared the news, explaining that Allen will split the mentor gig with pop superstar and Florida Georgia Line "Meant to Be" collaborator Bebe Rexha.

The role has previously been filled by country radio DJ Bobby Bones for the past four seasons, but Bones revealed in January that he won't return to Idol this season because of a conflict with another show that he's involved in.

Season 20 of American Idol will premiere on Sunday, Feb. 27 at 8PM ET. The show will return to ABC, its network home for the past four seasons, the entirety of Idol's new era. Ryan Seacrest – a mainstay of the show since Season 1 — will return this year, as well. Also on deck for Season 20 are the show's celebrity judges: Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.

Last year's American Idol winner was the country-leaning singer-songwriter Chayce Beckham. He's since released a duet with Lindsay Ell called "Can't Do Without Me."

PICTURES: See Inside Carrie Underwood's Beautiful Post-'American Idol' Home

Carrie Underwood invested her money wisely after winning American Idol in 2005. One of her first big purchases was a 3,099-square-foot home in the well-to-do Nashville suburb of Franklin, Tenn. Underwood paid $384,000 for a luxurious 3-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom stone and stucco home in a private gated community.

The house features a library, a vaulted ceiling and lovely amenities throughout, but while it's very nice, it's certainly not the kind of home you'd picture for a budding country superstar. Underwood wound up being a huge success right out of the gate with her debut album, Some Hearts, and she sold the home in Franklin for $372,500 in 2007, when she purchased the Brentwood mansion that she would later share with her husband, Mike Fisher.

Source: Jimmie Allen to Mentor Contestants on Season 20 of ‘American Idol’

Filed Under: American Idol, Jimmie Allen, Taste Of Country

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