Heavy/ABC/YouTube "American Idol" judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry (dressed as Cinderella) and Lionel Richie looked stunned after Ryan Seacrest revealed the top 3 contestants for season 22.
When Ryan Seacrest revealed the top three contestants on the May 12, 2024, edition of “American Idol,” the last person to advance sent shockwaves through the audience, contestants and even celebrity judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie, who couldn’t keep their jaws off the floor.
The first two singers to advance, 21-year-old pop powerhouse Abi Carter and 23-year-old country rocker Will Moseley, were not a huge surprise to “Idol” fans, given that neither had been in jeopardy of leaving in previous weeks. But when it came down to the final three — Triston Harper, Emmy Russell, and Jack Blocker — there were audible gasps when Seacrest read Blocker’s name to round out the top three.
Harper looked stunned by the result, with many on social media insisting he muttered “what” at the moment Blocker’s name was announced. Russell also looked shocked but, as the credits rolled, she seemed more concerned about 15-year-old Harper than herself, overheard asking Seacrest something about him.
The final three will now move on to the season 22 finale, which will be jam-packed with performances by a long list of superstars and past contestants.
‘American Idol’ Top 3 Leaves Judges Stunned
Perry’s Disney night Cinderella costume was apropos given Blocker’s Cinderella story on the show. The folk singer from Dallas was initially rejected by Perry and Richie during his audition, and he left without a golden ticket as Bryan, who was thoroughly impressed by his delivery, pleaded with them to reconsider. Many crew members then chimed in, including Perry’s assistant, to tell her and Richie they were wrong not to send Blocker through to Hollywood Week.
Perry held firm, irritated by Blocker’s exaggerated facial expressions while he sang. But Richie was swayed to change his vote and for the first time in “Idol” history, Seacrest said during the episode, the vote was reversed due to the crew’s campaigning for him and Blocker was given a golden ticket after all.
Blocker has quietly and steadily advanced through each round since, but many thought either Harper or Russell would get the final slot, given their large fan bases and the amount of online buzz about them. Even the judges seemed stunned by the result, with Bryan and Perry seen staring at each other wide eyed and mouths agape as Richie held his hands in the air, also looking astonished.
One viewer tweeted a photo of the judges’ reactions and wrote, “those judges were even shocked that emmy didn’t get picked for top 3. Doesn’t matter bc she’ll far as singer anyway”
those judges were even shocked that emmy didn’t get picked for top 3. Doesn’t matter bc she’ll go far as singer anyway #AmericanIdol
On Reddit, someone asked, “did the judges look a bit stunned at the end of the show? Because I certainly was” and others debated over what Perry yelled to Bryan as Seacrest wrapped up the episode, with some thinking she said something about a “wrong choice.”
Viewers & Contestants Weigh In on Triston Harper
Heavy/ABC/YouTubeTriston Harper, Emmy Russell, and Jack Blocker as Blocker was named as part of the season 22 top 3 on “American Idol.”
Many social media users also noticed Harper and Russell’s reactions to Blocker making the top three and tried to decipher what they were saying. Harper looked stunned upon hearing Blocker’s name called and was seen mouthing either “what” or “wow,” which rubbed some viewers the wrong way.
“Tristan was so cocky he couldn’t believe Jack made it,” one person wrote on a YouTube video of the moment (as seen above). “Look at his reaction. ‘WHAAAT??’ Too bad Triston. You really aren’t that good tbh.”
On Instagram, someone else wrote, “did anyone else see when jack went through triston said what”
Another commented, “My Mom mentioned that he has a terrible attitude, and I saw that tonight when Jack went through instead of him. Triston is 15 after all 🤷🏻♀️ lol but he definitely needs to do some maturing if he wants a professional career.”
Others noticed that Russell said something to Seacrest about Harper following the big reveal. She quickly hugged Seacrest as he was still wrapping up the show and said something to the host that sounded like, “What do we do with Tristan?”
It is possible that Russell was pulling for Harper to advance if she didn’t, given what top 10 contestant KAYKO shared in an “American Idol” Reddit thread in early May. He wrote that he and his fellow contestants were pulling for the 15-year-old, who told producers he spent time living on the streets with his mom when he was 12 and has been soliciting for donations to a GoFundMe for help with living expenses.
“We all want Tristan to win,” KAYKO wrote. “He’s such a QT and it could really help out his situation.”
The top 3 will square off on the three-hour, season 22 finale, airing live on ABC on May 19.