Jennifer Hudson reflects on two decades of success, new season of talk show

Twenty years after her elimination from “American Idol,” Jennifer Hudson is reaching new heights in her ever-evolving career.

Her talk show “The Jennifer Hudson Show”, which premiered in 2022, was renewed for a third season earlier this year.

Hudson said she has come a long way since her Idol days, but the passion she had when she first started remains.

“I’ve been so blessed to do so many things because I do it for the love, the passion,” she said on “CBS Mornings” on Monday.

“When I was eliminated from ‘American Idol,’ I’m like, ‘Well, you still have your talent and as long as you keep at it, it has no choice but to give in.”

That talent led her to receive Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards —making her one of the few EGOT award winners in Hollywood.

Her talk show has been recognized with four Daytime Emmy nominations.

It also received other awards, including this year’s NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Talk Series and a GLAAD Excellence in Media Award.

As her third season kicks off, Hudson is incorporating her talented voice in an upcoming segment with country music singer Chris Stapleton.

“I love blending my roles with music, and you know, just being a host and having artists that I love and admire come on the show, and Chris Stapleton is one of my favorites,” she said.

Aside from singing and hosting, Hudson is starring in the new post-apocalyptic thriller “Breathe.”

The 42-year-old actress said her new role challenges her as an actress, as it was her first action film, and she got to do some of her own stunts.

Amid all of this, Hudson is balancing raising her son, David, who gave her a touching Mother’s Day surprise with a heartfelt letter.

“I had no idea that he was, you know, writing me a Mother’s Day letter. I could barely read through the tears. I thought it was the sweetest,” she said.