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Rarely as hilarious as American Idol auditions, The Glee Project saw dozens of would-be “New Directions” singers vie for a spot on the popular television series. Hundreds of talented young people tried out, including the always-effervescent Lizzo. One especially outspoken Glee star later said, “it’s f***** up” that the now-famous entertainer didn’t pass her audition.
How ‘Glee’ and Lizzo almost intersected
From 2009 through 2015, Glee presented the highs and lows of a remarkably diverse high school show choir in Lima, Ohio. Lead characters included Cory Monteith as jock-turned-singer Finn Hudson, Naya Rivera as lesbian cheerleader Santana Lopez, and Kevin McHale as ambitious paraplegic Artie Abrams.
Four years after Glee wrapped for the last time, McHale appeared on X Factor: Celebrity, performing a sassy, sans-wheels rendition of the Lizzo hit, “Good As Hell.” McHale subsequently tweeted that Lizzo “is an icon,” the song is “incredible,” and how “f***** up” it was that she failed to make the cut at The Glee Project, reported Billboard. An ardent admirer of Lizzo, McHale did not reveal precisely when the future three-time Grammy winner auditioned for the show.
Not being on ‘The Glee Project’ didn’t hurt Lizzo
Lizzo hasn’t spoken publicly about her failed The Glee Project audition. Still, another would-be “Gleek” who tried out told StyleCaster that the Season 2 tryouts in New York City involved a lot of stair-climbing, repeated group renditions of “Don’t Stop Believing,” and a lot of waiting around.
Describing herself as “a very gay Jewish teen,” the unnamed source said that before trying out in groups of five, Glee producers assured the contestants they would be judged on their true talent and passion, not their appearance. If talent and passion were as important to the judges as the StyleCaster correspondent said, Lizzo should have easily become part of the Glee cast. She didn’t get the part, but she didn’t give up, either.
The history of ‘The Glee Project’
Making its debut two years after the inception of Glee on the Fox network, The Glee Project aired on the Oxygen network in the U.S. from June 2011 through August 2012. In the U.K., the show could be seen on Sky 1, and in Canada, the lively talent competition appeared on the Slice channel.
Season 1 featured 12 contestants ranging in age from 18 to 22. First prize was shared by Samuel Larsen of Los Angeles, California, and Damian McGinty of Derry, Northern Ireland. Larsen, a San Francisco native, won the recurring role of dreadlocked Christian teenager Joe Hart. Meanwhile, McGinty appeared in 18 episodes of Glee as foreign exchange student Rory Flanagan. Following his stint on Glee, McGinty re-joined the touring band Celtic Thunder, explains Detroit Free Press.
With two additional contestants in the competition, Season 2 of The Glee Project was won by 19-year-old Blake Jenner of Miami, Florida. Jenner portrayed dyslexic basketballer Ryder Lynn for 39 episodes, according to his IMDb bio.
Despite missing her chance to participate in the fictional New Directions high school glee club, Lizzo made quite a name for herself in the years since. Her debut album, 2017’s Cuz I Love You, dropped her first global hit, “Truth Hurts,” in 2019, just as the singer was about to give up on the music biz.
“Now the song that made me want to quit is the song that everyone’s falling in love with me for, which is such a testament to journeys: Your darkest day turns into your brightest triumph.”
Several Glee stars, including Monteith and McHale, appeared as mentors and judges on The Glee Project. After 21 episodes and two specials, The Glee Project called it quits, while Glee remained on the air for three more years.
