American Idol Top 24 Season 10: Chris Medina eliminated, Jennifer Lopez quits American Idol?
UPDATE: The judges revealed the rest of the Top 24 singers Thursday night. Click here to see who made the cut.
He had the most heartbreaking back story of the season, but Chris Medina was eliminated on Wednesday's installment of "American Idol."
His elimination was the episode's final scene. Earlier this season, he impressed the judges in Milwaukee. Chris' fiancee (Juliana Ramos) was in a car accident that left her with a severe skull fracture, a traumatic brain injury and multiple fractures to her face. Chris is now her caregiver.
While giving Chris his ticket to Hollywood, the judges asked him to bring his wife into the room. She arrived shaking in a wheelchair. The scene won Chris many fans.
But in the judges' eyes, he wasn't good enough to join the Top 24.
Judge Jennifer Lopez was emotional while breaking the news to Chris.
She cried after he left the room. She said, "I didn't want to tell him no...I don't want to do this anymore."
Judges Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson consoled her, then "to be continued" flashed on the screen. Something tells me she'll be back.
Weigh in: Will you miss Chris?
Wednesday's episode spanned two hours. Contestants performed in Las Vegas during the first hour. The second hour focused on creating the Top 24. Here are the results so far. We'll complete the Top 24 during Thursday's show.
TOP 24
Naima Adedapo
Clint Jun Gamboa (my least favorite contestant)
Haley Reinhart
Paul McDonald
Ashthon Jones
ELIMINATED
Hollie Cavanagh (Jennifer says she wanted to put Hollie through)
LaKeisha Lewis
Alex Ryan
Deandre Brackensick
Chris Medina
***
Here's what happened during the first hour of the show:
Welcome to Vegas!
During the first hour of tonight's show, the contestants will perform Beatles songs in Las Vegas. The cuts begin during the second hour, according to a recent tweet from executive producer Nigel Lythgoe.
The singers divide into groups and prepare their Beatles songs. Tears! Fighting! Nerves! What's up with the girl who says she's never heard a Beatles song before?
Music producer Jimmy Iovine shows up and gives some singers a tough time. What could brighten their spirits? A trip to see 'The Beatles LOVE, Cirque du Soleil," of course.
Performance time!
First group: Stefano Langone and James Durbin sing "Get Back." James REALLY needs to stop trying to become Adam Lambert. Stefano is OK. Just OK. The judges seem to like James better than Stefano.
Pia Toscano and Karen Rodriguez have been friends since high school. They sing a nice rendition of "Can't Buy Me Love." I like both Pia and Karen, but the performance is a bit campy. They deserve to advance, though. The judges are happy.
Jacob Lusk, Haley Reinhart and Naima Adedapo sing "The Long and Winding Road." I love it! Definitely my favorite so far. Haley Reinhart is my No. 1. The judges go crazy. Randy is especially crazy for Jacob.
We see some other standouts (read: producers' favorites): Rachel Zevita sings "Eleanor Rigby," Lauren Turner sings "Let It Be," Julie Zorrilla and Tim Halperin sing "Something."
Jerome Bell, LaKeisha Lewis and Tatynisa Wilson seem like they're trying too hard while singing "I Saw Her Standing There." Jennifer and Randy agree with me, but Steven likes it.
Paul McDonald and Kendra Campbell go for a more subdued approach while singing "Blackbird." The judges are pleased.
Time for some footage of crazy Ashley Sullivan. Will she have a meltdown? Nope, she's getting married in Vegas. Man, this girl is only on "Idol" for comic relief. She wears pleather for her wedding.
Thia Megia and Melinda Ademi sing "Here Comes the Sun." Meh. I'm not impressed, and neither are the judges.
Sophia Shorai gets stuck with Ashley Sullivan. They sing "We Can Work It Out." The judges don't like it.
Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery and Denise Jackson perform a pretty corny version of "Hello, Goodbye." The judges aren't happy.
Yikes. Casey Abrams and Chris Medina should never sing together again. Let's pretend that didn't happen.
On the other hand, the judges are big fans of Robbie Rosen, Jordan Dorsey and Aaron Sanders. The trio performs "Got to Get You into My Life."
Time for some cuts. Among the eliminated singers: Molly DeWolf, Carson Higgins, Caleb Hawley, Denise Jackson, Melinda Ademi and Ashley Sullivan.
This story was originally published February 23, 2011 at 6:40 PM with the headline "American Idol Top 24 Season 10: Chris Medina eliminated, Jennifer Lopez quits American Idol?."