who won american idol when jennifer hudson competed
American Idol (season 3) The third season of American Idol premiered on Monday, January 19, 2004 and continued until May 26, 2004. The third season was won by Fantasia Barrino, who defeated Diana DeGarmo by an approximate margin of 2% (1.3 million votes); the vote total (65 million votes) was the highest recorded vote total in the show's history until the May 23, 2007, finale of the sixth season. This season also featured Jennifer Hudson, who would subsequently win the 2006 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Katharine McPhee Katharine Hope McPhee (born March 25, 1984)[4] is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. In May 2006, she was the runner-up on the fifth season of American Idol.