Star Search is back with a brand new reboot and the unique talent contest will air live on Netflix
A rebooted Star Search is coming to Netflix with its first live show on January 20 and a legendary panel of judges will be sharing advice, including award-winning actress Sarah Michelle Gellar, TV personality Chrissy Teigen and Grammy-nominated artist Jelly Roll.
The talent contest helped launch the careers of global superstars like Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears. After more than two decades since the show was last on screens, the next generation of talent is about to take to the stage to impress the judges.
Hosted by actor Anthony Anderson, Star Search will include real-time voting, giving viewers the opportunity to determine which contestants move forward.
Up and coming performers in various categories including music, dance, variety, comedy and magic will be in with a chance of kickstarting their careers.
Here are just a few of the famous faces who have found success through the show, and they have undergone some huge transformations.
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1 of 10Britney Spears, 1992
Britney Spears was merely 10 years old when she graced the stage in the junior vocalist section, making her television debut. Her inaugural appearance featured a rendition of Eva Tanguay’s ‘I Don’t Care’ and she triumphed in her heat, progressing to the subsequent round. She then delivered a version of ‘Love Can Build a Bridge’ by The Judds, but was defeated by 12 year old Marty Thomas. (
Image:SYNDICATION)
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2 of 10Britney Spears, 2019
One of Britney Spears’ last public appearances was at the Sony Pictures’ Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood Los Angeles Premiere in 2019 (
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3 of 10Christina Aguilera, 1990
Christina Aguilera competed as a junior vocalist in 1990 when she would have been around nine years old. She delivered the beloved track A Sunday Kind of Love but was knocked out during the semi-final stage. Following her rise to international stardom, she reflected on the experience with humour, telling W Magazine: “Do we even remember who I lost to?”At that age, I always sang songs meant for older people. That fit my personality-I had pain to sing about.” (
Image:SYNDICATION)
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4 of 10Christina Aguilera, 2025
Christina Aguilera appeared on The Jennifer Hudson Show in December 2025 (
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5 of 10Destiny’s Child/Beyoncé, 1992
Beyoncé took part alongside Destiny’s Child, though during the 90s the vocal ensemble was called Girls Tyme. Entering the programme’s singing division, the group eventually lost the contest, which Beyoncé attributed to selecting the wrong track. She was quoted in Time magazine as saying: “The song we did was not good. ” The band had delivered an original hip-hop number. (
Image:SYNDICATION)
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6 of 10Beyoncé, 2025
Beyonce attended the Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week in June 2025 (
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7 of 10Justin Timberlake, 1993
Justin Timberlake competed in the junior vocalist category and was known back in the 90s as Justin Randall. He was merely 11 years old at the time, and appeared on the programme just a year before joining The All-New Mickey Mouse Club alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. The future superstar, who was passionate about country music then, faced off against 10 year old Anna Nardona, but sadly didn’t claim victory in the contest. (
Image:SYNDICATION)
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8 of 10Justin Timberlake, 2025
World-renowned Justin Timberlake performed after an 11-year break at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Stadium in July 2025 (
Image:GETTY)
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9 of 10Usher, 1991
Usher took part in the male vocalist category under the name Usher Raymond when he was approximately 13 years old. A record label scout was dispatched to watch Usher’s performance on the programme, and subsequently he was invited to audition for L.A. Reid, the co-founder of LaFace Records. Reid signed Usher immediately after hearing him perform the Boyz II Men song End of the Road. (
Image:SYNDICATION)
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10 of 10Usher, 2025
Singer Usher spoke on stage during the Instagram “Carversations” content series experience at Pullman Yards in December 2025 (Image: GETTY)