Haliey Welch, otherwise known as ‘Hawk Tuah Girl’, has said that American Idol producers approached her to join the show, calling the move “dirty.”
Welch became an online hit after she was asked a question in the street about her sex life by Tim & Dee TV—two YouTubers who conduct street interviews. The video was eventually uploaded to YouTube, with Welch going viral for using the onomatopoeia “hawk tuah” to describe the intimate act that makes “a man go crazy in bed.”
Since then, Welch has started her own podcast; created her own merchandise; and even sung on stage with country singer Zach Bryan during his Quittin’ Time tour. The duo performed his hit song “Revival” together at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium, with videos of it taking the internet by storm.
During an appearance on the Off the Vine With Kaitlyn Bristowe podcast published Thursday, Welch and the host discussed the viral star’s singing ability. They also talked about whether Welch would ever go on a competition show, which is when she revealed she had previously been approached by the singing program.
Newsweek emailed Fremantle North America, which coproduces American Idol, for comment on Thursday.
Haliey Welch appears at SiriusXM Studios on July 31, 2024, in Los Angeles, California; and an illuminated “American Idol” sign is displayed during the “American Idol Live!” 2018 tour at the Orleans Arena on July 29, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The internet star has said she was approached by the show’s producers.
Michael Tullberg/Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images
“I’m shocked that [Dancing With the Stars] didn’t ask you to go on this season, shocked,” Bristowe said.
“Who tried to get us? Was it America’s got talent?” Welch asked, looking at someone off-camera. “American Idol, yeah, they’re trying to do that for a funny joke; they know I can’t sing.”
Bristowe responded to Welch’s claim with a shocked look on her face before saying the move was “dirty.”
“That is dirty,” Welch agreed.
“They were just trying to get you to go out there and look silly,” Bristow said.
Welch added that she would get on the stage and “break all the glasses,” to which Bristow said: “Yeah, but again, I feel like you’d lean into that and you’d make it funny.”
The reason that the two women think the producers from American Idol had bad intentions is because they both agreed Welch isn’t a good singer.
When Bristowe said she saw Welch at the Bryan concert, the viral star said: “So you watched me, like, bomb that singing up there.”
“I love that you bombed though because it’s, like, who’s going to go up and compete with Zach Bryan, like, nerves, like, you’re not a singer.”
Welch said it was “scary” before adding: “I’m not a singer.”
While Welch didn’t express interest in going on American Idol, she eventually said she would be up for appearing on Dancing With the Stars.
“If they teach me how to dance, hell yeah, I’d do it. I’d be like, ‘Let’s do that.’ That’s something different… I want to learn how to tango,” she said.
The viral star added that she would enjoy being a contestant on the cooking television game show Chopped.
