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‘It’s a joke’: ‘American Idol’ fans slam judges for not eliminating Kayko despite back to back ‘worst’ performances

Kayko has been receiving many negative comments from 'American Idol' fans over the last few episodes

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Fans of 'American Idol' Season 22 expressed frustration and disappointment with the judges for not eliminating Kayko despite his underwhelming performances in the past episodes. Many fans hoped that the judges, like Simon Cowell from previous seasons, would be more critical and straightforward in their evaluations. They felt that the current judges were too lenient and failed to call out singers even when they delivered subpar performances.

"How is Kayko still here?!!! Is vote the worst still active?? Too many talented singers went home for him," said a user on X. "KAYKO was eliminated because the show was at risk of turning into the KAYKO Show," said another. "Worst so far is Kayko," said one. 

"KAYKO IS FINALLY GONE!!!!! THANK THE LORD!!!!" added one. "God I wish Simon Cowell was still on #AmericanIdol. The fact that Kayko can suck that bad on a song and not get called out by judges is a joke," added another. "About time Kayko went home, respectfully," said one. 

Shania Twain asks Kayko change song before performance

Before his performance, Shania Twain, serving as a mentor on the show, advised Kayko to change his song choice. Originally, Kayko planned to sing “Oops!...I Did It Again” by Britney Spears, aiming for a rockstar vibe. However, Shania felt that this song didn't suit him well and encouraged him to reconsider. Consequently, Kayko decided to switch his song to “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus.

Lionel thinks Kayko is going to win the show

The judges were impressed by Kayko's energetic performance, jumping to their feet in applause. Luke commended Kayko for his decision to switch up his song choice and praised him for embodying the skater-boy persona during his performance. Lionel expressed surprise at Kayko's transformation, jokingly asking who the new person on stage was and even suggesting he expected Kayko to start skateboarding across the stage.

However, Lionel also acknowledged Kayko's ability to stage performances convincingly, stating that he could potentially win the competition. "You keep fooling around here - you're gonna win this thing," he said. Katy added to the praise by humorously mentioning that sometimes the underdogs emerge victorious, hinting at Kayko's potential to succeed despite any initial doubts. “You could win this thing.” Katy said, “Sometimes the turtles do win.”

American Idol' Season 22 airs on Sundays and Mondays at 8 pm ET on ABC.