“The Jennifer Hudson Show” continues to welcome their famous guests with a fun twist. Before each celebrity makes their way to the stage, staff and crew clap, cheer, dance, and sing in the “spirit tunnel,” often recreating songs relevant to the guests.
One of the most viral spirit tunnels featured Aaron Pierre back in December 2024. Fans couldn’t hide their thirst — so much so, the daytime talk show turned off the video’s comments on their social media pages. The staff’s catchy and quirky chant, “Aaron, Pierre, that’s Mufasaaa!,” is now a household saying.
Enter Omari Hardwick.
The “Next Day Air” actor took to the hype hallway where the show’s staff remixed the theme song to “Power,” originally performed by Joe and 50 Cent on their 2014 track “Big Rich Town.”
Hardwick, wearing a tangerine-colored suit and brown shoes, danced his way down the hall, waving his arms, clapping, and high-fiving staff. The video, posted on Wednesday (March 26) has garnered over 129,000 likes on Instagram as of this writing.
“Eeek not me getting a lil dance and twirl from Ghost!,” one person wrote under Hudson’s show post. “I mean at this point, can the spirit tunnel be nominated for an EMMY?,” a second added, while a third user complimented, “Something about that ORAAANNNGE with melanin.”
“There is so much pressure walking down after Aaron Pierre,” another person added. “Put the shoes back neow… he gets a lil pass cuz he so fine tho,” another Instagram user said, while another added: “Ok he looks good in his Suge Knight suit.”
The 51-year-old himself took to the comments, thanking the “multitalented J Hud & the @jenniferhudsonshow TEAM….I appreciate the love & years of humbling fanship!! And for all of you fans steady or petty….considering that my job as an artist is to make you feel….it’s a blessing to make you feel some kinda way🙏🏾.”
Some compared the Hollywood heartthrob’s appearance to Aaron Pierre’s.
In December, Pierre had the ladies going crazy, in addition to social media users who recreated his viral dance moves. The original TikTok, posted on Jan. 6, has over 6.2 million likes. Oh, and over 500,000 bookmarks.
Even Cleveland Browns’ quarterback Jameis Winston was inspired by Pierre’s suave moves and recreated them in a hilarious TikTok.
Despite the thirst-trapping spirit tunnels that allows celebs to let loose before an interview, the trend is often called out for the amount of people, or lack thereof, participating depending on the guest.
Show guests including Latto, Usher, Michelle Obama, and John Legend had packed crowds for their walks through the tunnel. However, other guests like Khalid, Druski, and Big Sean have not had nearly as packed crowds for their introduction.
“Michelle’s was crazy damn near a fire hazard how many people showed up,” one user wrote, while a second commented how they “felt bad when Tasha Cobbs came cause that hall was empttyyy.”