'American Idol' season 17's fans speculate why judges saved Laci Kaye Booth and sent Jeremiah home

Though most fans expected the judges to save Jeremiah, they were once again left disappointed as the judges chose to save Booth and send her to the next round making it the Top 5 contestants
PUBLISHED MAY 12, 2019

Sunday night's episode of 'American Idol' came as a shock to most fans when they got to know who made the cut and who didn't.

For their performances, the Top 6 sang a song from 1969's Woodstock Festival and songs that inspired them. Once the contestants were done with their performances, the votes were tallied and the Top 4 contestants were revealed. 

Sadly, Laci Kaye Booth and Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon didn't make it to the Top 4 and were the two contestants eliminated. But judges — Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie — decided to use their only save for this season. Though most fans expected the judges to save Harmon, they were once again left disappointed as the judges chose to save Booth and send her to the next round making it the Top 5 contestants.

The ABC Television Network JEREMIAH LLOYD HARMON, RYAN SEACREST, LACI KAYE BOOTH(ABC/Eric McCandless)

After fans and viewers watched this happen, some speculated that the judges decided to save Booth so that there are more women left in the competition, and a few speculated that it is because of her commercial appeal and because she has more room to grow than Harmon.

"I think everyone in the top 6 are great in their own way. But I was surprised that they chose Laci over Jeremiah. I can’t help but wonder if they saved her so there was more than one woman left," a fan wrote on Reddit.

A fan said, "I've heard everyone saying there was an ulterior motive... it definitely seems that way. Even Laci was like 'why!?'" Another fan speculated, "Laci has more commercial appeal. Period. They both have potential for a great career, but Laci is more marketable right now. On a personal note, I have loved Jeremiah since the beginning, but Laci has scratched her way into my begrudging enjoyment, and the woman has talent. Jeremiah has not been shining the last few weeks. I was surprised but not shocked to see Jeremiah go home."

The ABC Television Network LACI KAYE BOOTH(ABC/Eric McCandless) 

Adding to that, another fan said, "They may also have saved her because she has more room to grow. Jeremiah doesn't really need the coaching by this point, he's pretty polished as a musician and a performer, in comparison. I’m hoping he’ll use the momentum that he’s gained here and really take off with it. He has a much better chance of going solo at this point than any of the others in the top 6, except probably Alejandro."

We might not know the exact reason why the judges chose to save Booth instead of Harmon, but one thing is for sure, Booth will have to perform her best if she wants to get more votes next week and advance into the finals. 

'American Idol' season 17 airs every Sunday night on ABC. Check your local listings for more information. 

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