Now this was one of those moments that you don’t forget — not because of the lights or the stage or the star power, but because something real broke through the noise. Something raw. Something holy.
On the latest episode of Netflix’s rebooted Star Search, country powerhouse Jelly Roll didn’t just judge a performance — he delivered a full-on Gospel moment that stopped the show in its tracks.
It all started with a heartfelt performance by contestant Bear Bailey, who stepped up and sang “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” a song originally performed by Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll himself. That would’ve been enough to turn heads, but it was what happened after the song that really got people talking.
Bailey opened up to the panel and the audience about his battle with addiction. He didn’t sugarcoat it. He said he had lost everything — everything — to it. But then he looked out into the crowd and declared, “I serve a God who is [perfect], and he believes in redemption. Jesus has redeemed me.” That’s when you could feel a shift in the room. The crowd? Fully locked in. Silent. Waiting.
🚨Jelly Roll preaches the Gospel on live TV 🔥 pic.twitter.com/t7pEIPRtQx
— GodlyVibez Studios (@GVStudios_TV) January 24, 2026
Then came Jelly Roll. The man was visibly emotional, wiping away tears before he even spoke. He told the audience he’d prayed that very morning for a chance to talk about his faith. And here it was. “What I just seen was a room full of people that might not have ever felt it before,” he said, “but that is called the Holy Spirit of God.”
And it just poured out of him after that. He preached redemption. He preached grace. He told Bailey — and everyone watching — that Jesus doesn’t care where you’ve been, only where you’re going. “He hung so you can stand here and sing His name on the biggest streaming service in the world!” he shouted, and the crowd went absolutely wild.
At one point, Jelly Roll paused, speechless, when Bailey revealed he’d picked the song before knowing who the judges were. The timing, the message, the connection — all of it felt bigger than coincidence.
By the time the judging rolled around, Chrissy Teigen gave Bailey four stars. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jelly Roll? Both gave him five — the highest possible. Jelly Roll didn’t hold back. “You, my friend, can win this show,” he told Bailey.
In a show built for talent, this was something else entirely. It was testimony. It was hope. It was a reminder, beamed into living rooms everywhere, that grace isn’t just for the pulpit — it can show up right in the middle of a Netflix competition show, with tears, guitars, and a country singer telling a broken world: Jesus is for everybody.
