The first live elimination on American Idol season 23 came with some big surprises — and deciding who to save wasn’t easy for the judges.
The top 20 finalists took the stage on Monday, April 21, with host Ryan Seacrest revealing whether the contestants were singing in celebration of moving on to the next round — or singing for their lives. Following the nationwide vote and powerhouse performances, the fate of the bottom 10 was left in the hands of judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, who selected four Idol hopefuls to save and join the top 14.
“My brain was almost like: ‘Six! I can’t do it!’” Underwood, 42, told USA Today after making the cuts. “We were pretty much aligned; there were a couple of concessions that had to be made, but all in all I think we’re happy with how it turned out, other than six people had to go home, which is a huge jump.”
While Monday night wasn’t Underwood’s first time experiencing an Idol elimination — she survived throughout season 4 in 2005, ultimately winning the competition — it was her first time announcing the cuts as a judge.
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“[Carrie said], ‘I don’t want any of them to leave!’” Richie, 75, teased after the show, noting that the decision was down to the wire. “‘Carrie, we’ve got a minute left. What is the answer?’”
For Bryan, 48, the key is to be “really quick” with choosing who to save. “There were two that we all — me, Carrie and Lionel — were really focused on, and we knew that they ought to go through,” he explained.
The judges also took into consideration the “whole body of work” each contestant has shown so far in the competition. “We have to take a lot of our knowledge and info through the whole season and try to pick the right ones,” Bryan added. “I’m really happy with who we gave a second chance to, and hopefully they can proceed to further rounds.”
Desmond Roberts, Josh King, Ché and Amanda Barise were ultimately saved from elimination. Among the six musicians sent home were Zaylie Windsor — who Underwood previously likened to a young Taylor Swift — and Backstreet Boys star Brian Littrell‘s son, Baylee Littrell.
“I don’t know how I’m going to break this to my grandfather,” Baylee, 22, told USA Today after the show.
Baylee’s family played a big role in his Idol journey from the beginning. Brian, 50, let slip on the Today show in February that his son would be featured on the singing competition.
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“He’s been busting his butt, and I’m super proud of him,” Brian said at the time. “He kind of gets a new sense of reality of what this is.”
When his audition aired one month later, Baylee performed an original song for the judges. Before they gave him a ticket to Hollywood, Brian was invited into the room to sing with his son.
“For your superstar singer dad to come in here, I feel like for anybody else, it would make you look bad. But it didn’t. You were right there with him,” Underwood said after the surprise duet. “You didn’t pale, you didn’t shy away. You were like, ‘This is my moment.’”
American Idol airs on ABC Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.
