Every year, television networks pump money into casting shows as a way to increase their ratings, but who are the most successful casting show winners? From American Idol to Project Runway, the realm of competitive reality-TV shows keeps growing, and from the thousands of contestants initially trialed by just a panel of judges, only a handful manage to sustain their success over time. While every season of the numerous casting shows has a winner, most of them drift into oblivion once the hype has passed. However, this list features the winners that stepped away from the TV-only audience to gain a wide-ranging and loyal fan base.
Much like the 10 most popular TV episodes of all time, which we covered in an earlier article, casting shows like American Idol or The Voice bring in huge audience ratings. Their successful formula usually includes a star judging panel, a large group of contestants fighting for one winning slot and filming the stress that accompanies that scenario. Since every year features at least one casting show, it’s difficult for every winner to sustain their popularity, but the most successful casting show winners, featured on this list, jumped the nest and have now acquired full-fledged star status.
Read on to find out who the most successful casting show winners have been; perhaps you even helped launch some of their careers with your votes.