‘American Idol’ fans disapprove of one contestant from making it to the top 3 live shows, accusing this season to be ‘rigged’.

Host Ryan Seacrest live on the American Idol Season 8 Top 7 Elimination Show on April 22, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Cover Image Source: Getty Images/ Photo by M Becker)

‘American Idol’ further narrowed down its contestants to the top 3 from the top 5 finalists on the May 12 episode of Disney Night, day 2. The show featured powerful performances from Slater Nally, Breanna Nix, Thunderstorm Artis, John Foster, and Jamal Roberts, all of whom were mentored by Lin-Manuel Miranda. However, during the shocking elimination, the show sent fan favorites Artis and Nally back home via 19 million viewers who were casting their votes live, as reported by Gold Derby.

While fans were happy to see Roberts take the lead, they resented seeing Foster make it to the top 3 instead of Artis. One fan wrote in the YouTube comments section, “Thunderstorm was hands down the most talented person in that whole group, come on dude,” while another said, “Okay, Thunderstorm was robbed!!! I was so upset that he was the best. His storytelling and artistry were unmatched. I wanted Breana to go home!”

Aiming at Foster, one person said, “Wow, how the f–k did John make top 5, much less top 3?” Another one wrote, “I think Slater should have been in the top 3 instead of John. John talks about his second song instead of singing it.” “Breanna or Jamal, please win the show… at least let the powerhouse win the show.” Added the fifth. Fans on social media echoed the same sentiments. One fan tweeted, “Slater and Thunderstorm were ROBBED.” Another added, “America got it wrong again. Briana has zero charisma. Slater and Thunderstorm were better! Gabby should’ve won the whole thing! Watch the baby-faced cowboy win it!”

The elimination of Artis and Nalley, despite their powerful performance, led fans to accuse the show of being rigged. “The past 3 years it’s turned into Country Idol, not #AmericanIdol, which shouldn’t be,” a fan said, as reported by The Sun. Fans expressed their frustration with the format of the show as well, for having limited chances for fans to see their singing skills. On YouTube, one pointed out, “I miss the old days of ‘American Idol’ where 1 person gets eliminated per week, and after each elimination is revealed, there’s a montage of the eliminated person’s journey. These double eliminations nowadays feel so rushed. Especially the way Ryan is like, “Alright, you guys are out, that’s it, good night, everyone!” Like… where’s the drama? lol.”

Not many fans were enchanted by the theme either; one internet user wrote on Reddit, ‘Live Discussion: Season 23 Disney Night #2 (May 12, 2025),’ “I feel like this is way too late in the season for Disney night; the finale is next week. I want to hear them sing better songs!” While the other called the Disney theme “Sooo stupid.” As the show approaches its finale on May 18, whether the Top 3 will resonate with the broader audience remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the debate over the criteria for selecting its finalists is far from over.