'American Idol' contestant faints while receiving feedback from judges: 'She busted her chin...'
'American Idol' has always been a melting pot of emotional moments, with various contestants pouring their hearts out on the show, and the audience and the judges empathizing with them. In an old episode of the reality show, things went awfully wrong when Funke Lagoke collapsed on stage as she was performing a duet with Ronda Felton. Surprisingly, this marks the second time someone fainted on the 'Idol' stage, with the first time being with Imani Handy in 2012 and, ironically, in the same round.
The duo was really close to each other and shared a bunch of heartfelt moments backstage, as shown in the Hollywood Week episode of 'American Idol' season 19. Calling themselves the 'Melanated Queens,' the duo performed a mesmerizing rendition of 'Tell Him' by Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion. While the performance certainly wasn't perfect, with noticeable timing issues disrupting their cohesion, the vocal melody was quite compelling, with glimpses of strong musicality. As the performance ended, the judges huddled around Katy Perry's table as they discussed, with Perry reiterating multiple times, "She wasn't perfect."
View this post on Instagram
As everyone settled down, Lionel Richie began sharing his remarks. "Tonight was a train wreck. I say to you clearly, my dear, that I want you to get esteemed together because your voice is in there." Lagoke looked quite distressed, her eyes trying their very best to remain open as Richie continued speaking. "On your opening lines, that person was right out there. Funke was right out there, smiling, watching you blossom, and then you crashed and burned."
The duo looked at each other in despair. Richie then started talking to Lagoke. Lagoke, still in a state of distress, said, "The problem is..." Lagoke collapsed face first on stage with a huge thud. Felton, stunned and visibly shaken, immediately rushed to her side. Richie and Luke Bryan rushed to help the unconscious contestant as the medical staff rushed to the stage, as they applied pressure to Lagoke's chin, with Bryan saying, "She busted her chin, y'all." Everyone watched in silence, with Perry observing from the judges' table. To everyone's relief, Lagoke was okay, as the episode ended with a title card telling everyone that she had been "treated for dehydration and released from the hospital. She will return for the showstopper round," as reported by People.
View this post on Instagram
Felton, still in a state of shock, was approached by Richie, who previously indicated that he might eliminate the duo, as reported by Entertainment Weekly, and changed his stance as he said, "Both of you deserve to go through," he said. "I want you to know, congratulations, okay? I know that was traumatic, okay? But we're here for you. We're family, okay?" Despite hearing that Lagoke was okay, Felton was still in tears as she said, "I just want her to know that I love her, that I care about her. I want her to be okay."
