Fantasia and Jennifer Hudson emotionally reunite 20 years after being on 'American Idol' together

Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia Barrino shared a sweet hug on Hudson's talk show and reminisced about how far they've come in the 20 years since they first broke through together on "American Idol."

"Can you believe it?" Hudson said.

The two superstar singers, who appeared on Season Three of the talent competition series, reflected on their career and journey when Barrino appeared on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” Dec. 14 with Oprah Winfrey and fellow cast members from the 2023 film adaptation of "The Color Purple."

Hudson, 42, and Barrino, 39, enjoyed a full-circle moment that came decades after they first became stars on "American Idol" in 2004.

"Fantasia, do you realize it’s been 20 years since we were on ‘American Idol’?" Hudson said. "Now for me, I said I hopped on the ‘American Idol’ rollercoaster and it’s been running ever since. I never would’ve guessed I would sitting here and ya’ll would be sitting here."

Even though it was way back in 2004, the two stars haven't forgotten a moment of the experience.

"You remember the day they tried to put us all in the bottom three and we were all standing there?" Barrino said.

"I remember it like yesterday," Hudson responded. "I don't forget nothing."

"But that day though, we all had the look on our face like, 'Really?'"

Barrino was only 19 when she beat out Diana DeGarmo in season three to be crowned the champion, while Hudson finished seventh. She then made history as the first artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard charts with her first single.

The multi-talented Hudson has since gone on to become a rare EGOT winner (Emmy/Grammy/Oscar/Tony) and a talk show host. Barrino is an actor, best-selling singer and Grammy winner in her own right.

Hudson asked Barrino what she remembered the most about their season of "American Idol."

"Working hard," Barrino said. "We worked very, very hard. I also remember building great relationships and being around great gifts. Iron sharpens iron, and just being around you guys, making a family. And being up every morning, away from our families, but steady going because it was something we all wanted, and now look."

Barrino could be adding more accolades to her sparkling career with her performance in "The Color Purple," which has generated awards buzz. She shared on TODAY on Dec. 14 that she nearly turned down the role of Celie, but she felt compelled to join the cast so that her 22-year-old daughter could relate to Celie’s inspirational journey.

"I just wanted that legacy for them to see that it doesn’t matter what you’ve been through. You can do it,” she told Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com