The much-anticipated Hollywood Week round was featured on American Idol Season 20 Episode 6, which aired on Monday. Contestants that received golden tickets advanced to the final round of auditions for a slot on the singing reality program. Sam Finelli was one of the competitors in the pop genre that was coached by Season 6 champion Jordin Sparks.
Finelli was shown in Episode 6 seeming a little anxious before stepping on stage. However, once he got up there, he delivered an outstanding performance. The live crowd applauded the artist as she sang Say Something by A Great Big World. Despite his strong performance, the judges did not advance him to the next round. Many viewers were disappointed by his removal.
What do fans have to say about it?
Finelli confessed before his performance that he is autistic, which makes it difficult for him to perform in front of an audience or crowd. Because he was anxious, he even broke into tears as he ended his performance. While fans expected to see more of him, he was removed from the program in the most recent episode. Many thought Finelli was cheated and should have been selected in the following round.
Here are some reactions from supporters to the elimination:
#americanidol Sam got robbed
— Guess Who? (@MechaTogekiss) March 29, 2022
It breaks my heart to say goodbye to @samfinellimusic. He has an amazing talent and is such an inspiration. Please don’t give up, Sam! You are incredible 💙 #AmericanIdol
— MARISA ❤️✌️🤪 (@chasinchickens_) March 29, 2022
Everything you need to know about American Idol Hollywood Week.
While Sam Finelli was eliminated, Ava Maybee and Sir Blayke from the pop category advanced to the next round. American Idol Episode 6 was titled Hollywood Week: Genre Challenge and included judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie, as well as presenter Ryan Seacrest. Former American Idol contestants and finalists included David Cook, Jordin Sparks, Ruben Studdard, Lauren Alaina, Chayce Beckham, Haley Reinhart, and Lee DeWyze.
The judges summoned three Platinum holders — Huntergirl, Jay, and Kenedi Anderson — at the conclusion of the program. These are the competitors that won platinum cards instead of golden tickets in the first round of auditions. Platinum holders are exempt from the genre challenge round. The three platinum holders will be able to choose their duet audition partners for the following show. The others will be paired together based on the judges’ preferences.
American Idol Episode 7 will include the last audition round, which will result in the selection of the Top 24 candidates. The new episode will premiere on ABC on Sunday, April 4, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Every Sunday and Monday, the competition series airs.
