American Idol Contestant Lauren Spencer-Smith Once Sang Judge Katy Perry's 'Firework' at a Talent Show
American Idol contestant Lauren Spencer-Smith was a fan of judge Katy Perry‘s long before she got her golden ticket.
In an exclusive sneak peek of Sunday’s “This Is Me” episode, which will focus on each of the contestant’s lives, the 16-year-old high school student from Vancouver Island, Canada, can be seen in a throwback video singing Perry’s 2010 hit “Firework” at a school talent show.
“When she was at school, she did a talent show,” Spencer-Smith’s mom says in the clip. “She did a ‘Katy Perry‘ cover. She just liked being on the stage.”
Spencer-Smith adds, “I’ve been singing since I could talk, like ABC’s in the car, just constantly singing all the time.”
In addition to the talent show video, the clip also gives a snippet of Spencer-Smith’s previously unseen audition during which she sang “Always Remember Us This Way” from Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born. The performance had Perry, 35 — who is pregnant with her first child, a baby girl, with fiancé Orlando Bloom — grinning from ear to ear.
Scott Patrick Green/ABC
Last month, PEOPLE confirmed that Idol has shut down production over coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns.
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The ABC singing competition is enacting additional precautions across its production amid the ongoing health crisis, suspending any new filming and enabling remote work for the rest of its employees, PEOPLE confirmed. Staffers are also ensuring contestants get home to their families during the health crisis.
Episodes will continue to air as scheduled until the live shows, which are set to begin later this month.
