Did Midwest Storms Result in Diva’s Dismissal?
"American Idol" is in shock. Wednesday night, when Ryan Seacrest announced, "Tonight, this is our bottom three: Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson and La Toya London," the crowd erupted in boos.
In what the producers say is the closest vote
in the show’s history, "AI’s" three divas, Fantasia,
Jennifer and La Toya, received the least amount of votes, forcing
one of the three off the show. Stunned contestants cried and
looked on in disbelief as the former frontrunner fell from grace.
"Extra’s" learned that storms in the Midwest may have
played a role in the show’s outcome. More than 15,000 fans from
Jennifer’s hometown of Chicago were unable to watch or vote
because of a power outage. But the show’s producers say there
is nothing they can do.
Today, "AI" host Seacrest had Hudson and this week’s
guest judge, Barry Manilow "On Air."
"I really don’t think it had anything to do with her performance,"
Manilow told us. "I think the American public is feeling
and seeing something else that I don’t see."
"We went backstage and all the contestants were upset and
in tears," Seacrest revealed. "John Stevens said to
Jennifer after the show, ‘It should have been me.’"
Judge Randy Jackson made a special trip to "Extra"
today to talk about Wednesday night’s results show. "I
couldn’t believe it," he told us.
So does it damage the show when someone like John Stevens does
not even end up in the bottom three and Jennifer gets kicked
off? "Yes, it does," said Jackson. "Because you
can't keep telling people it’s a talent competition and then
not reward the talent."
As Hudson looks forward to her life after "Idol,"
three former contestants are speaking out about their own reality
experiences on Thursday night's "Primetime," on ABC.
"You're in a bubble, you have no idea what's going on in
the outside world," says second season contestant Tamyra
Gray. "It's all about being in the house, it's all about
being with the other contestants and doing the press. When I
got out it was kind of like I could breathe."
Season two contestant Kimberly Locke says her appearance seemed
to outweigh her singing in one judges' eyes. "I'm not going
to lose 30 pounds in a week; I was this size when you saw me
last week. I'm this size when you see me the next week. Get
over it, if he didn't want me in the competition he should never
have picked me."
After Wednesday night's shocker, all of the "Idols"
will take nothing for granted when they get back in front of
the mic. And next time, hopefully talent will matter. |
