| American Idol (Results Show Final 6) |
| Idol nears it's endgame as six become five on tonight's results show. The voting tally is higher than ever before for a non finale, a staggering figure of 47.5 million votes. Perhaps the big vote is partly due to viewers strongly disagreeing with the panel comments? Some of the critiques last night were jaw droppingly wide of the mark! |
 | Tonight Simon retracts some of what he said... "I think I was unfair to one person last night and I want to apologize because I don't think this person got the right appraisal and that person is Katharine." Although officially this is an apology, the way Simon delivers it is as though Katharine has just been honored! |
| Randy also retracts his critique of Katharine, but claims he was just "a little harsh". Randy probably thinks The Grand Canyon is the little o in Arizona. |
Paula says she's never harsh, Simon disagrees so she tells him to "shut up"! At least she and Ryan are talking, despite the numerous reports claiming they are feuding off camera. Reports Paula has dismissed as "ridiculous". After the recaps, American Idol's dysfunctional quartet pose for a family snapshot. They almost look happy together but things soon slip back to normal when Simon spoils Ryan's link by reading off his autocue. |  |
Time for the Ford-ommercial. The song this week is Blondie's "Call Me    " and the video features the contestants out in their Ford motors looking for their lost doggie. When they spot the little fella they make chase. En route they cut a swathe through some al fresco diners who enhance the mayhem by obligingly knocking over their own tables!
The Idols catch up with their mutt in a warehouse containing yet another Ford. Fido is standing guard beside a cardboard box. When the contestants peek inside they see Mrs Fido and her babies fiddly-de and fiddly-do. (Names have been changed to protect the innocent.) Yes, it's all very cute, but will it make me buy a Ford? |
Next up is a performance from the 2 mentors for this week's "Love Songs" theme, David Foster and Andrea Bocelli. David explains why he was tough with the hopefuls, "I assumed that it's as though they were in the studio with me." "Were you like that with Whitney and Celine?" asks Ryan. David's reply is a little tentative, "Yes, I think so... I dunno. Was I Randy?" |
Time for some plugs... - Andrea tells us he'll tour the US beginning June this year.
- David says he and production partner Humberto Gatica have been working with Josh Groban and Michael Bublé and they are branching out to work with other artists like 16-year-old wonder girl Renee Olstead and Peter Cincotti.
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| They begin their performance, David on piano and Andrea singing "Because We Believe " which the pair co-wrote with David's daughter Amy Foster-Gillies. |
| The contestants look inspired as they listen. Andrea's vocal is spectacular, moving, resonant and as Ryan notes "effortless". |
| Before Ryan gets down to the nitty-gritty of the night, there's just time for one more plug. Lisa Tucker is in the audience alongside mom and dad. Ryan exchanges onscreen greetings and informs us that Lisa's appearance in The OC will be screened tomorrow night. Lisa is looking great and her appearance is a reminder to all that there is life after Idol. |
Here it comes. Ryan is to arrange the Idols in 3 groups of 2 apiece. Katharine heads far-side, Elliott goes center stage and "Pickler", as Ryan calls Kellie, is invited to stand near-side.
Next, Paris is asked to join Kellie; then Taylor is paired with Elliott which leaves Chris to cosy up to Katharine. |
The 3 groups are - Katharine and Chris.
- Elliott and Taylor.
- Paris and Kellie.
Ryan tells us they represent the top 2, the middle 2 and tonight's bottom 2. We are soon to discover which is which. |
| The first to be declared safe are Elliott and Taylor. They hug Kellie and Paris as they head back to their seats. Ryan doesn't yet reveal whether they are our top or middle ranked contestants. |
| After the obligatory break Ryan reveals that of the 2 remaining groups, one received the highest vote tally, the other the lowest. He then declares Chris and Katharine 'safe', confirming they got the highest voting scores. |
Before the final verdict it's over to Paula for a few words... "...Six great people, and I thought Paris that you accomplised the best vocal of the females. Kellie you're adorable, you are a great performer, you deserve to be up with the six, but you know it... someone has to go home." |
| There's a funny moment when Ryan reminds Kellie it's her first time in the bottom, he then turns to Paris and asks "How many times?" Paris, who has been in the bottom 3 twice, is quick to remind Ryan that this is actually her first time in the bottom 2! This amuses Paula who applauds Paris' eye for detail! |
Kellie says that after watching last night's performance she feels she deserves to be in this week's bottom 2. Ryan has further news for her, "it's the end for you". Kellie bows out of Idol tonight and Paris is the first to give her a warm farewell hug. After watching Kellie's eventful and often amusing Idol journey unfold on the big screen Ryan tells her "Kell, Idol will never be the same". |  |
 | Kellie handles her Idol ousting with grace and composure. As always, she looks like she could chat away with Ryan for hours! She tells him she's learnt a lot since arriving in Hollywood but doesn't think it's changed her... "It's a lot different than Albemarle, North Carolina, that's for sure, but um, I'm glad to be here but I know I won't be here much longer, so... there's the commercials coming!" It's great to watch Kellie and the audience laughing together. Some of them can't keep from crying though, amongst them her Idol buddies Katharine, Elliott and of course Paris! |
| Unusually there's no reprise performance for Kellie, but she does have plenty more to say during her last moment on Idol. She thanks her fans who voted for her, as well as God, the judges and the back-stage crew. Finally as the credits roll and Kellie disappears from our sight we hear her signing out in inimitable Pickler style, "I'm sad to be goin' but that's the cut... CUT!" |
| Quoting Andrea Bocelli, it's "time to say goodbye" to Kellie Pickler, one of Idol's most colorful contestants ever. Her personality is so big and bright we can't fail to miss her next week. Thankfully we'll have her back on the Idol tour, which Ryan tells us kicks of July 6. And after that... well we think either the country or the comedy world is Kellie's calamari... Or is that squid?... Lobster maybe?... How about oyster? Although tonight it's her ouster, we're glad they picked Pickler! |
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