American Idol judge Luke Bryan promised to put the season 22 contestants through the gauntlet when the NBC show introduced the Idol Arena. All 143 singers gathered in the arena, with the judges culling the group to only 56 people. That ruthlessness continued into the next episode. Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie again slashed the number of contestants by more than half. So who was left standing?
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Who Made the Top 24 on ‘American Idol?’
Here are the American Idol contestants headed to the next round in Hawaii:
- Abi Carter
- Triston Harper
- Odell Bunton Jr.
- Hailey Mia
- Jennifer Jeffries
- Jordan Anthony
- Nya
- Blake Proehl
- KB Richins
- Jack Blocker
- Roman Collins
- Mia Matthews
- McKenna Breinholt
- Emmy Russell
- Will Moseley
- Ajii Hafeez
- Sam “Kayko” Kelly-Cohen
- Kennedy Reid
- Elleigh Marie Francom
- KBlocks
- Jayna Elise
- Julia Gagnon
- Mackenzie Sol
- Quintavious Johnson
Some Contestants Needed a Tie-Breaker
The judges didn’t keep some contestants in suspense, quickly congratulating them for making the Top 24. However, several American Idol hopefuls were put in a position to sing for their lives.
KB Richins and Alyssa Raghu faced off against one another with Lady Gaga’s “Shallow.” Raghu found herself in the American Idol mix for a third time after tagging along for her roommate’s audition. While Luke Bryan praised the 22-year-old’s growth, he ultimately said it was time for Raghu to “spread your wings without Idol.“
“This is the end of the road for you, Raghu,” Bryan said. “And KB, congratulations, you’re in our top 24.”
‘Idol’ Viewers Are Calling For This Contestant’s Return
American Idol fans weren’t pleased with the results of one face-off. Ziggy, a 22-year-old native of the Netherlands, squared up against Mackenzie Sol during the Final Judgment. After hearing the pair take on “Jealous” by Labrinth, the judges decided to eliminate Ziggy. Mackenzie Sol, a 23-year-old TikTok prankster from northern England, advanced to the top 24.
Immediately, viewers bgan rallying for Ziggy’s return and voicing their displeasure at his elimination. “Whack . Ziggy better than at least 5 of them lol,” one fan wrote on X/Twitter.
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