Reality shows, including competitions like American Idol, love nothing more than a controversy like the comeback twist since it creates free advertising. Idol has had several noteworthy events this season. Claudia Conway’s special treatment, the sudden departure of Wyatt Pike, and the arrest of Cecil Ray all created buzz for the show, though most of the publicity has been negative. With ratings dwindling, a good controversy is just what they need to get more attention. Unfortunately for fans, that’s what they’ve got, as Idol announced a surprise twist to the final 10 slots that viewers are not happy about.
American Idol already ran into trouble when they decided to take contestants across the country to Disney World for a special Disney episode despite the ongoing pandemic. While Disneyland is in the same state as the contestants already were and was not yet open, meaning there would be no crowds, producers decided not to conduct filming there. Instead, the contestants were flown on commercial flights to Disney World, which had opened to the public. The disregard for the health of everyone involved earned viewers’ ire.
2020’s season of American Idol saw competitors performing from home online instead of on the Idol stage. Granted, that wasn’t the experience any of them were hoping for, but the solution producers came up with made things even worse. When this year’s contestants took to the stage to compete for the top 10 spots, they were joined by 10 runners-up from 2020. While only one competitor from the previous season could get a slot in this year’s top 10, it still meant that someone from this season who would normally have made the top 10 would be sent home instead. So while COVID-19 took away 2020’s competitors chances to appear on stage, now one of those competitors would take away someone else’s spot.
Fans were quick to jump on Twitter and share their displeasure. Many viewers didn’t feel that anyone from 2020 sang better than the 2021 finalists, so forcing one of them into the finals for Idol’s comeback twist made it obvious the controversy was more important to producers than actually finding the best singer. And if the show isn’t about finding the best singer, then what is the point? Luckily for competitors, some contestants who didn’t win the series still went on to have successful careers.
American Idol appears to be struggling to give viewers what they want this season. The controversies may serve as free advertising, but they may also drive away loyal fans. With the amount of unpopular decisions Idol has made during season 19, they may find viewership down for their monumental 20th season. Paula Abdul’s temporary return to the show reminded viewers of what they loved about the show at the beginning with the original judges, which the show has never been able to replicate. With The Voice offering competition for Idol’s audience, American Idol needs to be careful about losing the audience they have left.