Katharine McPhee is ringing in a milestone birthday today warranting a walk down memory lane in her honor.
The star has come a long way from her days on American Idol when she was runner-up to winner, Taylor Hicks, on season five.
Despite narrowly missing out on the win, Katharine went on to carve out a successful career in the entertainment industry as both an actor and a singer.
She's also happily married to music producer, David Foster, 74, and they adore parenting their son, Rennie, three.
Here's how she's blossomed in her style, career and personal life since she burst onto the scene at the age of 21.
© GettyAmerican Idol
Katharine was convinced to audition for American Idol by her eventual husband, Nick Cokas, and her parents.
She was an instant hit when she rocked up to the San Francisco auditions and sang "God Bless the Child".
Her cute, girl-next-door style was virtually eclipsed by her megawatt voice, but the whole package resulted in 'McPheever' for viewers, who couldn't get enough of her.
Although she didn't win, she walked away with a fanbase and incredible connections which would help mold her future.
Katharine met her future husband, David, on the show as he was introduced as a guest mentor for Top 6 Week.
Andrea Bocelli was also a mentor and Katharine went on to work on various music projects with both men after Idol.
Katharine's divorce
Katharine tied the knot with Nick in Beverly Hills, on February 2, 2008. But she was hit with scandal when she was photographed kissing Smash director, Michael Morris in October 2013.
© Getty ImagesSeveral months later, Katharine filed for divorce from Nick and said she had been separated from Nick for a years.
Her divorce was finalized in February 2016.
Katherine and David's 35-year age gap
After meeting David on American Idol, Katharine remained friends with him and they continued to work together.
In 2018, they announced their engagement and made it official in June, 2019.
Talking about the 35-year age gap between her and her husband,
"We all have the ability to label things and to look at something for the way that it looks or face value and make a judgment," she said during an interview on Dr. Berlin's Informed Pregnancy Podcast. "So I totally get the judgment initially, but things are never as they appear, things are never exactly as they appear and I'm in love with our love story and that's all that matters."
© InstagramParenthood
Katherine and David welcomed their only child together, son Rennie, in 2021.
But he is a father to five daughters. Allison, Amy, Sara, Erin, and Jordan and there's 50 years difference between his oldest child and his youngest.
The couple have praised David's daughters for "embracing" and their "unique situation".
While Katharine has only just entered her 40s, David is now in his mid 70s. However, she's eager to have more children.
“I would love to have another baby, but we'll see," she told Jennifer Hudson. "We're not in any crazy rush, but I hope so."
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