American Idol Season 23 Hollywood Week: Major Cuts and Emotional Performances
Hollywood Week for American Idol Season 23 is in full swing, with more than half of the Golden Ticket winners eliminated after the first round of competition.
A total of 144 contestants earned Golden Tickets during the hometown auditions, granting them a spot at the iconic Hollywood Week, which is taking place at The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. In Monday’s episode (March 31), contestants took the stage once again to perform for the judges, marking the first time they sang in front of their competition.
At the start of the episode, judge Luke Bryan warned that more than half of the contestants would be eliminated by the end of the first round. By the conclusion of the night, only 62 contestants advanced to the Showstopper Round, where they will compete against each other. Of these, just 24 will move on to the next phase and head to Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii.
This round marked the largest elimination in Idol history, with several fan favorites cut from the competition. Among those eliminated were Lola Bonfiglio, the daughter of Wilson Phillips’ Carnie Wilson and granddaughter of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. Carnie Wilson expressed her frustration with the criticism Lola received after her audition, emphasizing that the same support and encouragement should be given to children pursuing careers in the arts, just like any other field.
Other notable contestants who did not advance included Sam Sparks, Carsen Webb, and Freddie McClendon.
However, fan favorites like Baylee Littrell, son of Backstreet Boys’ Brian Littrell, made it through to the next round. Baylee’s emotional performance of his original song “Hey, Jesus,” written in memory of his late grandmother, earned him a spot. “I never expected to lose her… I thought she’d be here for things like this,” Baylee shared before singing.
Other contestants who moved on include Breanna Nix, the stay-at-home mom whose son famously fell asleep on Carrie Underwood during her audition, 15-year-old Mattie Pruitt (the season’s youngest competitor), Josh King (the airport pianist), and John Foster.
Tune in to American Idol on Sunday (April 6) and Monday (April 7) to see the Hollywood Showstopper round and discover which contestants will make the Top 24.