‘American Idol’ Season 16 Top 10 Revealed (PHOTOS)
American Idol Season 16 finally unveiled its Top 10 finalists after a public vote Monday night (April 23), but not without some requisite reality TV drama.
Ryan Seacrest informed the crowd that the country's votes would send six of the Top 14 straight through to the next week (Disney week is just around the corner!), but that the remaining eight who hadn't earned enough votes to secure spots would each have to battle for one of four additional places. The judges would decide which four would move on, and which four would have to go home for good.
And when America didn't vote seeming frontrunner Ada Vox through, the judges were stunned. So stunned, in fact, that they did away with diplomacy and immediately sent Vox through to safety, forgoing typical Idol protocol.
“When the Ada moment came, it wasn’t just one person’s idea,” judge Katy Perry told reporters, according to People. “We all looked at each other and we saw the math … excuse us, we’re going to step in now. Were we allowed to do that? We found out we were.”
“Enough was enough and you put your foot down when it’s real,” said Perry. “We stand for truth and for justice.”
Thanks to America's votes, Gabby Barrett, Cade Foehner, Caleb Lee Hutchinson, Maddie Poppe, Catie Turner and Michael J. Woodard were sent straight through to The Top 10. Then, Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan sent through Vox, Dennis Lorenzo, Michelle Sussett and Jurnee to round out the group.
Check out American Idol Season 16's Top 10 contestants below.