One ‘American Idol’ judge seemed devastated after this elimination — and fans weren’t happy either
It appears that Carrie Underwood wears her heart on her sleeve! During an episode of 'American Idol' Season 23, which aired on April 28, 2025, Ryan Seacrest, the host of the singing show, revealed the Top 10 contestants one by one as they took over the stage. At the end of the episode, Ché Chesterman and Filo were sent home after receiving the lowest number of votes from the fans. Then, the cameras didn't show the judges' reaction to Chesterman and Filo's elimination during the live show, but they caught the reaction of the contestants, who looked shocked by the duo's elimination. However, an insider who was present in the studio told The U.S. Sun that Underwood and her fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie were left “furious" by Filo's eviction.
At that point, the insider shared, “When Filo got sent home, the entire studio was in absolute shock. It was by far the loudest gasp and by far the most stunned and upset the judges looked. All three were clearly upset by the results, but Carrie appeared the most struck by it. Oh, she was not happy. She seemed really angry and also sad about it. She had a 'WTF' facial expression and was stunned speechless for several seconds."
While speaking about the esteemed judges' reaction to the 'American Idol' elimination, the source further elaborated, "She just kind of lingered and looked forward and didn’t speak for several seconds as Filo said his goodbyes. Then she, Luke, and Lionel whispered to each other very seriously. It was clear none of the three judges expected Filo to go home. And none of the three judges were happy about saying goodbye to someone who should've been a finalist."
In the episode, Seacrest informed Filo, Chesterman, and Breanna Nix that only one of them would make it to the Top 10. When Seacrest announced Nix's name, she ran away with excitement towards the safe contestants; meanwhile, Filo and Chesterman hugged each other on the stage. As per the insider, when it was revealed that Filo's time on 'American Idol' had come to an end, the studio audience began chanting his name loudly. “The crowd was chanting 'Filo, Filo, Filo!' for a minute or two even when cameras stopped rolling," the insider said at that time.
The insider also claimed, “No one else got that kind of reaction except Filo. He took it really well, but others didn’t. Everyone was really upset he got sent home over Breanna, who many feel didn't deserve to go through over Filo." Along with the judges, the die-hard fans of the show were also unhappy with Filo's elimination, and they vented their frustration online. One social media user wrote, "This is ridiculous! He should have made it through!" Followed by a second user who commented, "So sad he’s gone. America got it wrong." Another netizen went on to say, 'Robbed!! You definitely deserved to be in the top 10!!! Amazing, amazing voice."
Following his elimination from 'American Idol,' Filo took to his Instagram page and reflected on his journey on the ABC singing show. "And just like that, my @AmericanIdol journey comes to an end. It’s hard to put into words what this experience has meant to me. The dream of being on the show felt far-off, and the fact that God gave me the opportunity to be a part of the Idol family is something that I will never take for granted. To everyone who’s supported me, I owe you a great deal of gratitude. I can’t express to you enough how much it means to me that you believed in me and took the time to show your love and support. Making it to the #TOP12 is no easy feat, and I truly couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you! ❤️," Filo wrote in the caption of the post.
