After Arthur Gunn joined the American Idol Top 10 this year, season 18 winner Just Sam came forward to give her honest opinion on who she wants to see win--and it isn't the comeback contestant. Just Sam became a fan-favorite throughout her journey on Idol in 2020. She ended up making it to the finale and beat out Gunn for the title. Since the show had to transition to remote episodes because of the coronavirus pandemic, she and her fellow finalists never got to perform on the big stage inside the Idol studio.
Being robbed of that opportunity is why American Idol producers decided to bring back 10 contestants from last year to compete for a chance to return to the competition and perform on the big stage. After the comeback episode aired, Gunn, Louis Knight and Makayla Phillips became the favorites for that one spot. Gunn won the American Idol comeback round and joined the likes of Willie Spence, Casey Bishop, Alyssa Wray and Chayce Beckham in the season 19 Top 10. A lot of fans are upset that Idol added this twist.
Fans aren't the only ones speaking out about the comeback twist. Just Sam is also coming forward to criticize the comeback round. She initially seemed excited about the twist, telling Talent Recap that it was "definitely juicy...That's really great stuff right there. That's great for television." American Idol producers were likely thinking the same thing. She believed that someone like Gunn would have a good chance at making it since he has a strong built-in fan base from making it to the finale last year. But now that the results are known, Just Sam reversed course and admitted in an Instagram Story (as reported by Heavy), "At first I was sooo happy and then...I CHANGED my mind. I'm sorry but I really don't want Arthur to win this year. I was rooting for him last year...but this year I'm rooting for Willie Spencer or I just hope that a newer contestant wins now that the Comeback results are in."
Just Sam added that she would "feel better about all this" if the comeback winner was someone who didn't make the Top 5 last year. She seems to be alluding to her previous comment that Gunn's built-in fan base could give him a leg up in the competition against the new talent competing for the first time this year. She ended her Instagram Story simply by saying, "I said what I said," and added the shrug emoji.
Clearly, Just Sam isn't afraid to voice her opinions on the comeback twist, even if it seems like she's turning on her fellow American Idol season 18 Top 2 finalist in the process. She was rooting for Gunn when competing against him and acknowledged his strong base of support. This criticism technically isn't directed at Gunn himself but rather at the metaphorical bomb that producers threw into the competition. After all, this whole debacle is not Gunn's fault. Virtually anybody in his position who's invited back would jump at the chance.
It turned out his American Idol fan base did indeed show up once again for the Kansas-based singer. That support was enough to not only vote him back into the competition but also to advance him into the Top 7. For now, he's on the right track. But the continued backlash could potentially hurt his chances in the long run if enough viewers put their full support behind the other contestants.
American Idol airs Sundays at 8pm ET/5pm PT on ABC.
Source: Talent Recap, Heavy, Just Sam/Instagram