'American Idol' season 17: Did Jeremiah Harmon's clapback at haters play a part in his elimination?

The Top 6 contestant was thought by fans to have the talent that would see him go through the competition and win it
PUBLISHED MAY 9, 2019

As 'American Idol' season 17 nears its end, the contestants are being eliminated with every airing week, and after Sunday's episode just five were left in the fray. On Sunday night, the top 6 contestants were asked to sing songs from 1969's Woodstock Festival and songs that inspired them.

But fans were in for a shock when the votes were tallied after all the performances -- front runner Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon along with Laci Kaye Booth polled the lowest and were set to be eliminated. Though fans didn't vote both Booth and Harmon into the top 4, judges - Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan - decided to use their only save of the season on Booth.

Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon and Lauren Daigle - The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Eric McCandless)

The news of Harmon's elimination pretty much shocked everyone as he had been a front runner all through the competition till date. He was known for his vocal range and was the one singer that fans speculated would make it all the way. Ever since the live shows started, Harmon had been saved time and again by the votes of the fans, and the fact that he had been eliminated shocked his fans. 

But what was the major reason that after voting for him all along, fans didn't vote for him that much this week, and which saw him at the bottom of the heap.

In my opinion, the low votes from fans can be attributed to an Instagram post Harmon uploaded last week when he clapped back at his haters. Before the airing of Sunday's episode, Harmon uploaded a picture of himself on Instagram, captioning his post, "If you’re not out there on the playing field putting your ass on the line everyday, I’m really not that concerned about your opinion of me or my performance. Thanks anyway. 🖤 Photo cred goes to my mom. Thanks Carolyn. #teamjer." 

Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon, Ryan Seacrest, Laci Kaye Booth - The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Eric McCandless)

The critical post didn't go down well with many fans who were not happy with his approach and revealed that he should have handled it with "a bit more professionalism and humbleness." This could have been a major reason why some fans didn't vote for Harmon. 

Though he has been eliminated, Harmon revealed that he is excited for what his future holds. 

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

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