“We didn’t really want people to think that we weren’t focused on the show, and also Cade and Gabby had just kind of announced that they were dating, and so we didn’t want to take away their thunder, you know. Caleb and I kind of joked, when people would ask about us, that we were cousins!”

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Maddie and Caleb started dating a bit early on into taping. A big reason they kept mum is because they didn’t want to risk being forced to separate:

“We started dating around the Top 24 week, and we’d noticed that there were some other couples who had gotten split up along the way. I mean, it’s just my conspiracy theory, but we really didn’t want anybody to know [we were an item], because we didn’t want the producers to find out and split us up!”

Now that the two are fully public about their relationship, they’re not shy about sharing their love on social media. Caleb congratulated Maddie on his Twitter after she won American Idol. He wrote:

“MY GIRLFRIEND WON AMERICAN IDOL!!! No one deserved it more than you babe. I am honored to know you and even more honored to call you mine. Don’t forget about me. I love you”

MY GIRLFRIEND WON AMERICAN IDOL!!! No one deserved it more than you babe. I am honored to know you and even more honored to call you mine. Don’t forget about me. I love you ❤️ pic.twitter.com/S0g73ZIyfP

— Caleb Lee Hutchinson (@calebleemusic) May 22, 2018