'American Idol' fans call out former winner Nick Fradiani's Neil Diamond rendition during Season 22 finale
KAPOLEI, HAWAII: Nick Fradiani returned to the 'American Idol' stage nine years after winning the competition. The champion of Season 14 performed during Season 22's finale on Sunday, May 19, 2024, but some fans were not amused.
Soon after Jack Blocker's elimination, Nick took the stage and performed a selection of Neil Diamond hits, fresh off Broadway. He also performed a collection of Diamond songs.
On Reddit, one fans wrote, "Omg…is Nick on ozempic or something? He’s so skinny." While one user felt, "Nick Fradiani isn’t singing in his voice. He’s singing like Neil Diamond. And poor Kayko is singing thru his teeth like “FML right now”."
On X, viewers shared their thoughts on the performance, with comments like, "I'm SHOCKED that's what Nick sounds and look like now." One user said, "Roman eating all the guys up..... including Nick."
I'm SHOCKED that's what Nick sounds and look like now #AmericanIdol pic.twitter.com/VbAIOcMycP
— YoungRichSkinny #DisLewkGUUDT (@YoungRichSkinn2) May 20, 2024
Roman eating all the guys up..... including Nick 😭😭😭 #AmericanIdol
— YoungRichSkinny #DisLewkGUUDT (@YoungRichSkinn2) May 20, 2024
Another fan complained, "When did Nick Fradiana become a Neil Diamond karaoke singer ??? This is hard to watch !!!" One fan asked, "Is it just me or did Nick Fradiani lose a lot of weight?!?!"
When did Nick Fradiana become a Neil Diamond karaoke singer ??? This is hard to watch !!! #AmericanIdol
— Green Wave Man (@GreenWaveMan) May 20, 2024
Is it just me or did Nick Fradiani lose a lot of weight?!?! #americanidol #finale #idol #concerned
— CrazyAshRed (@CrazyAshRed) May 20, 2024
What is 'American Idol’ winner Nick Fradiani doing now?
Now Nick has become a Broadway celebrity! The Broadway musical 'A Beautiful Noise,' which is based on Neil Diamond's life, showcases the singer as its main star.
In the show, he portrays Neil when he was younger. The native of Connecticut was initially selected as Will Swenson's understudy for the part in June 2022 during its pre-Broadway run.
In November of that year, the Broadway premiere of the musical took place, and Nick continued to perform on Wednesday nights and other occasions as required. Nick assumed the lead role in October 2023 after Will departed from the production, which is set to conclude its Broadway run in June 2024.
While Nick has dedicated the past three years to Broadway, he previously released an album titled 'Hurricane' in 2016. At the time, he was represented by Big Machine Company Group; however, he later parted ways with the company.
In 2017, he released the EP 'Where We Left Off,' followed by an independent album titled 'Past My Past' in 2022.
Who is 'American Idol’ winner Nick Fradiani dating?
Nick is romantically involved with Lauren Celantano, also a Broadway performer, currently starring as the lead actress in 'Moulin Rouge.'
As co-stars in a traveling musical, the pair first got together. They grew close as "two Italians from Connecticut" while filming 'A Bronx Tale' in 2019. Nick and Lauren share a rescue dog named Sammy, whom they adopted in 2023.
Nick Fradiani to embark on 'A Beautiful Noise' North American Tour
Nick, who is presently playing 'Neil Diamond - Then' on Broadway in 'A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical', will lead the multi-year North American tour in the titular role.
The announcement came during the season finale of ABC-TV's 'American Idol' on May 19, as Nick delighted audiences with a memorable mashup performance of Neil's beloved hits 'America' and 'Sweet Caroline,' alongside several of 2024 contestants.
