American Idol viewers have criticized host Ryan Seacrest for the way he teased contestants when letting them know whether or not they'd made it through to the show's final 12.
The hopeful contestants took to the stage again this week to perform live in front of judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie in the hope of making it through to the final stages.
Overnight voting selected the first 10 singers of the final 12, but it was up to the judges to select the last two - sending eight home as a result.
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It's just the way the show goes, and no matter how much they might want it, not every contestant can be a winner. But that's not to say they deserve being given that hope, only to have it ripped away from them in a matter of seconds.
Many viewers criticised Seacrest for the way he announced the news of who would be going home, with one admittedly brutal moment coming when contestant Olivia Soli was waiting to hear whether she'd made it through.
Seacrest dangled some hope right in front of her as he said: "Last night, you sang a Celine Dion classic. Katy told you to keep playing the power card. After the vote, Americans want to see more power...”
The audience erupted into cheers, seemingly delighted at what Seacrest was implying - that Soli was through.
As it turns out, though, he wasn't finished.
“... not in the top 12," he concluded. "But it’s not over. Give that performance of a lifetime right now.”
Another controversial comment came after Michael Williams had performed Selena Gomez’s 'Lose You To Love Me', after which Seacrest put a spin on the song title by telling him: "You sang ‘Lose You To Love Me’ – we might lose you tonight.”
The way Seacrest went about sharing the news caught a lot of flack online, though some admitted his agonising methods were entertaining.
"Ryan is doing a terrible job delivering this news,” one viewer wrote while watching the show, while another added: "The way Ryan gave the news to Olivia was downright heartbreaking. What the hell man...."
A third wrote: "Man, Ryan Seacrest is harsh with the “you did not make it in the Top 10” phrases [laughing face]."
While this week's show didn't end well for everybody, it did at least see 12 singers make it one step closer to being the next American Idol - and avoid having their hopes crushed by Seacrest in the process.
UNILAD has contacted a representative for Seacrest for comment.
Topics: Film and TV, Music, American Idol
Emily Brown