American Idol” is undergoing another scheduling shake-up in 2026. After years of airing on Sunday nights, ABC moved the iconic singing competition to Monday nights in 2026. But with the sudden decision not to air “The Bachelorette” days before its new season was set to premiere on March 22, “American Idol” will fill the programming gap with an “encore episode.” Here’s what you need to know:

ABC Halted ‘The Bachelorette’ After Domestic Violence Video Surfaced

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ABC was heavily promoting the new season of “The Bachelorette,” starring reality star Frankie Taylor Paul, who also appears on “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” when a video stemming from her 2023 domestic violence arrest surfaced.

On March 19, TMZ published a shocking video that was taken by Paul’s former beau, Dakota Mortenson, on his cell phone. A police report stated that Paul’s five-year-old daughter was hit, too, and had a “goose egg on her head,” the outlet noted. The hard-to-watch video was submitted as evidence in the domestic violence case, during which Paul pled guilty to aggravated assault, per TMZ

A statement from ABC, issued hours after the video was released to the public, said, “In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of ‘The Bachelorette’ at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family.”

Encore of Last Week’s ‘American Idol’ Episode Will Fill ABC Programming Gap on March 22

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The abrupt cancellation of “The Bachelorette” left a two-hour programming slot wide open on Sunday night, so ABC executives have decided to fill it with a rerun of the March 16 episode of “American Idol,” starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

That episode featured the first of two nights of competition among the Top 20, held at Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa in Hawaii. Half of the Top 20 contestants performed on the show’s oceanside stage with the “American Idol” band, in front of a packed crowd.

Before their performances, the singers received constructive feedback from celebrity mentors Keke Palmer and Brad Paisley. Palmer later joined judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan to add her insights after each contestant’s performance.

Voting Will Be Closed During ‘American Idol’ Rerun, But Will Reopen for New Episode on March 23

For the first time this season, viewers got to cast their votes during the March 16 episode, determining which of the first Top 20 contestants will move forward in the competition. When it re-airs on March 22, no new votes will be counted, “American Idol” confirmed via social media that morning.

But when a new episode airs the next night, with the second half of the Top 20 performing on March 23, viewers will be able to vote for those singers during and after the show. Votes can be cast online, via text, and on social media (a brand new form of voting) until 6 a.m. Eastern time on March 24.

“American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest will announce the voting results on season 24’s first live show on March 30, as the Top 20 becomes the Top 14. Those contestants will then sing for viewers’ votes and two more will be sent home by the end of the two-hour episode.

ABC Has Not Announced Whether ‘American Idol’ Encore Episodes Will Continue to Air on Sunday Nights

It is not known yet if ABC plans to continue airing encore episodes of “American Idol” on Sunday nights in place of “The Bachelorette.”

Deadline reported that the network “has not outright canceled” this season of “The Bachelorette,” opting instead to put it on an “indefinite hold.” The outlet said that “a scheduling decision may be made week by week.”

ABC has removed all photos from Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” from its media site, but all of its social media posts promoting the season remained online as of March 22.

‘American Idol’ Encore Episode Also Features Songs From Season 21 Winner Iam Tongi

The encore episode airing on March 22 not only features the first half of the Top 20 contestants’ performances, but also an appearance by season 21 winner Iam Tongi, who just released his first full album, “Good For My Soul.”

Tongi performed the title track, and was joined onstage by fellow Hawaii native and season 23 Top 5 finalist Thunderstorm Artis. The duo performed a duet of “Island Style.”

The “American Idol” rerun will air on March 22 from 8 to 10 p.m. Eastern time, with no live voting. The new episode, with voting open for the second half of the Top 20, will air on March 23 at the same time, from 8 to 10 p.m. Eastern.

Source: entertainmentnow.com