The Jennifer Hudson Show’s “Spirit Tunnel” Takes Over TikTok

Daytime talk show The Jennifer Hudson Show has become a social-media darling thanks to the popularity of the pre-show “spirit tunnel” — custom songs made for each guest and sung by the staff as they make their way to the stage.

The Big Picture: The virality of the spirit tunnel means it’s capturing the attention of the most sought-after audience in television — young people. For a daytime talk show, that’s a big win… and it could inspire other talk shows to come up with clever yet authentic moments that highlight the personalities of its guests beyond the interview.

Between the Staff: Sometimes, it’s the little things that make a big impact.

• The “spirit tunnel” videos have amassed over three billion views in under 18 months.
• According to NYT, things really took off in October 2024 when Gwen Stefani was surprised by a custom rendition of her hit “Hollaback Girl.” It was the first one they actually filmed.
• Other popular entrances include actor Aaron Pierre dancing to a song about him being Mufasa, Usher rollerskating to the millennial homecoming dance classic “Yeah!”, and even Michelle Obama joining the fun.
• The Jennifer Hudson Show hasn’t been a rating juggernaut during its three seasons so far, but it did score its best ratings weeks in February and was renewed for a fourth season.

Closing Verse: The spirit tunnel took form during the first season in 2022 when the show’s staff decided to cheer Hudson on before every taping to get her energy up. Hudson appreciated the boost from the crew and thought that the guests would like it, too. So, producer Angie Green and associate producer Alexis Powell took on the role of writing and choreographing songs for each guest — a job that now begins in a 15-person group text to brainstorm personalized angles.

The lesson: the best ideas can come from anyone on your team.