I don’t think anyone paying attention to today’s world would dismiss the idea that we are all in desperate need of some daily joy. While there can be many ways to get that, a lot of people rely on the 2025 TV schedule to help bring them some comfort and happiness with their favorite shows. One such program just so happens to be The Jennifer Hudson Show, which has been going viral for months because of the “Spirit Tunnel” that the crew uses to welcome guests to the stage. Now, the talk show’s EGOT-winner host has opened up about why they started the tradition.
What Did Jennifer Hudson Say About Starting Her Show’s Spirit Tunnel Tradition?
Getting and keeping a talk show (or any show, really) on the air is a feat that requires not just the talent and dedication of all involved, but some serious luck. With that, it’s always good to have something that makes the show stand out from the pack, and The Jennifer Hudson Show (which is in its third season) has discovered just that with its Spirit Tunnel entrances. Those welcomes see the staff of the Dreamgirls Oscar winner line the hall to the stage entrance to dance, clap and sing a special song for arriving guests as they walk out.
The practice has all but taken over social media, with fans now making their own versions to celebrate everything from birthdays and anniversaries, to less common things like their love for great roommates. When talking to People about the Spirit Tunnel and how popular it’s become in the third season, Hudson said:
Our goal and mission for Season 3 was to choose joy. What better way to spread joy than through song? Now, we have the whole world chanting and singing.
If you haven’t seen the Spirit Tunnel in action, it might be hard for you to picture how just watching such a thing could inspire joy and the millions of viral views the entrances have gotten. But, once you do take a look for yourself, you might change your mind:
I mean, honestly, how can you not absolutely LOVE that energy! I’m going to just go ahead and come clean here, because I was 12 clips deep into a massive Spirit Tunnel playlist and then realized, you know, I had an article to finish writing. And I’d already seen several videos of this happening. That’s how wrapped up in the spirit you can get when watching a Spirit Tunnel go down!
So, how did this walk of joy come about in the first place? In another video on the JHud YouTube, the famous former American Idol contestant and her staff revealed that they started doing this off camera to hype Hudson up before shows. What started as general cheering and clapping, however, eventually turned into the sing-songy chants you see above and have become standard practice for the show’s guests (though accepting the attention and going through the Spirit Tunnel is totally voluntary).
Now, dozens of stars have gone through, including No Good Deed cast members Ray Romano and Lisa Kudrow, One of Them Days stars Keke Palmer and Sza (on separate occasions), You lead Penn Badgley, and others like Joshua Jackson, Damon and Damon Wayans Jr., Jelly Roll, Michelle Obama, Kevin Hart and Gwen Stefani.
Really, the Spirit Tunnel is something that we should all indulge in, even if it’s just by watching others enjoy it. Jennifer Hudson is completely correct, because watching will put a true smile on your face whenever you see it!
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