Former contestant David Goncalves has revealed that he was initially hired by producers to test the judging panel for the first season of the Dutch talent show Idols, over 23 years after the program premiered.
The professional singer was brought in during early production to determine whether the appointed judges could accurately distinguish between amateur performers and experienced vocalists.
>>> Buffalo Bills Launch 2026 Training Camp with New Coach and Revamped Defense
"After so many years, I can say it now," Goncalves said to LINDA.
Goncalves explained that he was originally employed by the production team to participate strictly in a pilot phase rather than compete as a contestant.
"The Idols judges also had to be tested before they could officially become judges.
I was hired as a professional singer to see if they could really tell the difference between skilled singers, professional singers, and amateurs," Goncalves said.
After completing the trial phase, show producers requested that he join the official competition as a regular contestant.
The decision proved complicated because he was already bound to a contract with a dance music record label at the time.
"I wasn't supposed to participate at all. I was actually employed by the show," Goncalves said.
His record label expressed strong reservations about the commercial nature of the television show, preferring that he remain on his current trajectory.
However, Goncalves sought to transition toward pop and soul music and viewed the broadcast as an opportunity to broaden his career.
