| American Idol (Results Show - Final 11) |
| America has spoken again... this time with 35 million votes, roughly 8% up on last week's 32.5 million. However, no matter how many votes are cast, they will never be enough for one of the Idol hopefuls. At the start of the show tonight's bottom placers are anybody's guess. A half-hour later and it turns out that nearly everybody's guess was right! |
The first half of the show is the usual format, starting with performance recaps from last night's 1950's themed show. The quirky Ford-o-mmercial follows. It features the Go-Go's number "We Got The Beat    " and has all the Idols Go-Going down to the beach in their Fords. It's a chance for "Love Machine" Kevin Covais to show off his rippling, muscle-bound torso... which has been sculpted out of sand by Paris Bennett and Kellie Pickler. Ominously, hunky Kevin gets left behind by his Idol pals! 'Chicken Little' doesn't seem to notice though as his attentions are diverted by a couple of beach-chicks! |
| Last night's '50s theme is connected to guest celebrity Barry Manilow by way of his latest No. 1 charting album "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties ". Tonight Barry selects the song "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing", from this album, and he describes it as "the perfect song to demonstrate what they sang like in the '50s". |
| Barry's vocals are as strong as ever, and all the more impressive considering he's now 2 years past 60. However, nobody in the audience seems quite so awestruck as fervent 'Fanilow' Bobby Bennett Jr. Big-hearted Bobby was memorably ousted from this season's final 24 after performing a spirited rendition of Barry's "Copacabana". |
Tonight, while Barry sings and the audience sways, Bobby seems to be the only one up on his feet. He appears totally entranced and oblivious to the fact that he's blocking the view of the Idolators sitting directly behind him! The song ends and Bobby heads onto the stage where he is introduced to his American Idol by Ryan Seacrest. Bobby gives Barry a Manilow-splendid hug before the 11 finalists arrive to add their congratulations. |  |
| The 'results' half of tonight's show is unusually straightforward. There are no twists or convolutions in getting down to this week's bottom 3. Ryan simply tells the top 8 they are safe, in the following order (which probably bears no relation to their voting ranks); Ace Young, 'Mandisa' Hundley, Elliott Yamin, Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry, Paris Bennett, Katharine McPhee, Taylor Hicks. |
This leaves Kevin Covais, Lisa Tucker, and Bucky Covington occupying the bottom 3 spots. Lisa is the first to learn she's made the final 10 and thereby booked her seat on the Idol tour bus later this year. The final seat on that bus then goes to Bucky. This means that Kevin Covais takes his American Idol bow as Season Five's eleventh placer. |  |
| Kevin's departure is a shock to some, partly because he scores straight A's in that all important likeability factor, and majorly because he has recently been championed by VoteForTheWorst.Com! Kevin doesn't deserve the negative connotations that go with that dubious honor. He has a fine distinctive voice, a little rough around the edges perhaps, but at just 16, the baby of this year's bunch is developing all the time. |
| Kevin handles his ousting with maturity and dignity, "America, I love you. Thank you for everything..." During his Idol ride Kevin has also let us in on his quirky humorous side, and he's taught Paula Abdul a few nifty dance moves too! It was his time to go tonight, but that doesn't mean we won't miss him! |
| Ryan announces that next week's Idol theme will be "The Songs Of The 21st Century", Kevin reprises "When I Fall In Love", credits roll and for the 2nd consecutive week the reprise is truncated! |
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