The magic of television, am I right? American Idol‘s latest season has officially come to a close as Jamal Roberts was crowned the winner of Season 23. Per tradition, the Idol finale was a star-studded event featuring the music industry’s biggest names collaborating with the season’s contestants. Between big-name stars like Patti LaBelle, Good Charlotte, and Jessica Simpson, the evening was a celebration of music. Of course, the season’s artist in residence, Jelly Roll, was also on hand. But as some loyal Jelly Roll fans pointed out, how could the country rocker be in two places at once? 

Seemingly, the first half of the Idol finale was dedicated to Jelly Roll, who helped mentor and select the final three’s first song and later performed the much-anticipated duet with the evening’s eventual winner, who covered his song earlier in the season. But Jelly Roll was also performing in Detroit, Michigan for Post Malone‘s Big Ass Stadium Tour, where he shocked the crowd with an appearance from Eminem. How is this even possible? Is Jelly Roll a Time Lord with a Tardis traveling through space and time? It’s time for us to solve this Doctor Who-esque mystery!

How Was Jelly Roll In LA and Detroit on the Same Night?

The American Idol Season 23 was a culmination of all things shocking. Not only was Jamal Roberts’ victory a welcome surprise, Jelly Roll’s usage in the finale has made many speculate on just how things unfolded. American Idol, which began its coast-to-coast broadcast at 8:00pm EST, featured Jelly Roll during his last responsibility as artist in residence, mentoring the final three and picking a “favorite song” of theirs to sing in the first round of performances. Then, Jelly Roll performed a much-anticipated duet with Jamal Roberts, following his rendition of Jelly Roll’s “Liar” earlier this season. It was a monumental performance that may have helped catapult Jamal to become the night’s victor.

But as all that was happening “live” on ABC, Jelly Roll was making music history at Ford Field in Detroit. An event that started at 6:30pm. Audiences love when artists pay homage to the hometown heroes, like Jelly Roll did when he performed some Bob Seger, but he topped himself when he sang “Lose Yourself.” Not only did he captivate the crowd with the iconic track from 8 Mile, he did so with Eminem in tow. The stadium erupted at the sight of Slim Shady. As Jelly Roll proudly stated on stage, “If you can’t tell, that was a childhood dream come f–king true, Detroit. This is the greatest show I’ve ever had in my f–king life.” While it wasn’t their first collaboration on stage, the surprise appearance is what makes live performances so beloved.

But how did it happen? How was Jelly Roll in Los Angeles on American Idol and in Detroit alongside Post Malone and Eminem? Especially if a flight from Detroit to Los Angeles takes approximately five hours. Of course, the Reddit threads, which featured those who were in Detroit watching Jelly Roll in real time, questioned what was going on. Though The Tennessean claimed, “He arrived just in time for the American Idol finale.” Well, the easy answer is that Jelly Roll’s duet with Jamal was part of the many pre-tapes that occurred throughout the night. It’s not uncommon for shows like American Idol to mix live moments with pre-recorded elements. Though not outright stated, at the end of the credits, it says, “Portions of this program not affecting the outcome may have been edited.” If you need any further proof that he wasn’t there live, then why wouldn’t he have been on the sideline during the final three’s performances?

Jelly Roll Wasn’t The Only One In Two Places at Once

Image via ABC Image via ABC Image via ABC Image via ABC Image via ABC

In addition to Jelly Roll’s dual appearances, superstar guest Patti LaBelle was notably present on the Idol finale, performing a duet with Kolbi Jordan, as well as performing as part of “The Queens Tour.” Alongside legends Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, and Stephanie Mills, the powerhouse vocalist was on tour at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Thanks to the comment section on the Instagram video, some social media sleuths spilled the tea with comments like, “She’s at her concert right now.. I feel bamboozled. My cousin sent me a video in Tennessee.”

Of the celebrity collaborations on the night, it’s difficult to say that they broke time and space like Patti and Jelly Roll, American Idol still developed an exciting finale with wall-to-wall performances. Unless there is a magical universe in which we find out that we were completely wrong and these performances were not part of the pre-recorded portions of the show, the magic of television has been revealed!

American Idol is available to stream on Hulu.