With seconds left before the end of the live “American Idol” episode on May 5, 2025, the judges feverishly debated which of the bottom two contestants to save in order to complete the top seven of season 23.
Host Ryan Seacrest stalled for time as 16-year-old Mattie Pruitt and 23-year-old Josh King awaited the decision. But then King did something no one expected: he forcefully nodded his head toward Pruitt, silently encouraging the judges to pick her — which, in the end, they did.
Whether King’s kind gesture impacted the judges’ decision isn’t known, but his willingness to sacrifice his spot for Pruitt touched many fans, especially since he explicitly said earlier in the show he wanted very much to stay after performing Michael Bublé’s song “Home.”
Fans Flood Social Media With Compliments About Josh King’s Final Move on ‘American Idol’
Once the episode ended and King was sent home — to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he’s an airport pianist — fans commented across social media about his last moments on the show.
“Josh rooting on Mattie and pulling for her was everything you need to know about his character and how good of a person he is,” one person wrote on Instagram.
Another person commented, “Watching @officialjoshking gesturing to the judges to save Mattie was one of the most wholesome moments I’ve seen in a long while. Friendship at its finest”
On a photo of King posted by the “Idol” account, over 100 people liked a comment that said, “Him leaning at Maddie was so precious!! You’re a good one Josh!! ❤️”
“You had a great performance,” another fan wrote to King, “but my heart exploded when you kept motioning for the judges to pick Maddy! That was so selfless! You have a bright future ahead of you Josh!”
“Josh King is nothing but class,” someone else tweeted. “In his singing and his heart.”
Josh King Expressed Worries He’d Lose the Friends He Made on ‘American Idol’
Leaving his “Idol” family can’t be easy for King. A week prior to being sent home, he got choked up on the April 28 episode as he explained his decision to sing Celine Dion’s “All By Myself,” which helped him land in the top 10. He vulnerably shared that he was lonely growing up, and that he worried the friendships he made at “American Idol” would fade post-show.
“Growing up, I was not a loner by choice, but not that many friends,” he admitted to producers. “I never had a place for me. Coming to ‘Idol’ changed all that.”
“They’re some of the greatest friends I’ve ever had, and I love them for that,” he said of his fellow contestants, getting choked up. “But it’s that fear in the back of mind that once this ends and this journey ends with ‘American Idol,’ that things will go to the way they used to be.”
“I want to have as many good memories with everyone for as long as possible,” he added.
During the judges’ feedback, Lionel Richie told King, “I want you to believe this. Since Luke and I have been here, there has never been a class this talented, ever, for us. You will never, ever be alone again in your life. Never.”