Who will win ‘American Idol’ Season 24? One contestant dominates fan polls by huge margin

The finale of 'American Idol' Season 24 has three contestants in the final round of the show; however, one leads the polls with almost half the votes.
Stills of Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, and Keyla Richardson from 'American Idol' season 24 (Cover Image Source: Instagram | @americanidol)
Stills of Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, and Keyla Richardson from 'American Idol' season 24 (Cover Image Source: Instagram | @americanidol)

Season 24 of 'American Idol' is rapidly inching forward towards its upcoming finale episode, and the competition for the top spot this time is as fierce as ever. Following last Monday's episode, which saw the elimination of Chris Tungseth and Braden Rumfelt, the top three finalists now are Hannah Harper, Keyla Richardson, and Jordan McCullough. Over the past episodes of the ongoing seasons, Harper has mostly been at the top of the leaderboard, earning massive praise for her performances. On the other hand, a singing competition-based reality television show such as 'American Idol' has always been full of surprises, and both McCullough and Richardson have a shot at victory. The ultimate question remains: Who shall win 'American Idol' season 24? 

A still of Hannah Harper while performing on 'American Idol' Season 24 during Hollywood Week (Cover Image Source: Instagram | @hannahharper)
A still of Hannah Harper while performing on 'American Idol' Season 24 during Hollywood Week (Cover Image Source: Instagram | @hannahharper)

According to a recent poll by Gold Derby, Harper is currently leading the race with 49.3% of the total votes. Following Harper is McCullough with 30.3% votes and Richardson at 20.4% votes. Harper's lead significantly increases her odds, and she has scored highly on almost all previously broadcast episodes, except 'Disney Night.' McCullough rose to eminence that night with his soulful rendition of the track 'Colors of the Wind.' Since then, the competition has moved forward with Harper once again in the lead, as Richardson repeatedly landed near her. On the other hand, McCullough advanced rapidly from the charts to the middle of the top three. It is interesting to note that during the first year of its FOX broadcast, 'American Idol' featured a duo as its final contenders. This was eventually changed to the top three contenders when ABC renewed the show in Season 16. 

A still of Keyla Richardson and her son from the 'American Idol' auditions (Image Source: YouTube | American Idol)
A still of Keyla Richardson and her son from the 'American Idol' auditions (Image Source: YouTube | American Idol)

Only one vote remains before the final winner is crowned on the ABC show. Judging by the way things stand now, one must appreciate the fact that Harper finds herself at a slight advantage compared to the other two contenders. Harper is the only country singer in the top three, and the genre has historically fared well with 'American Idol' voters. By contrast, both Richardson and McCullough are quite similar in their outlooks as powerful vocalists with soul and gospel influences. Because of their similarities, they might split a shared voter base in a closely contested fight to the finish. 

Speculative as it might sound at the moment, such an incident has occurred on the ABC show before. The previous season's winner, Jamal Roberts, was significantly aided by country singers Breanna Nix and John Foster splitting the country music voter base among themselves. The situation might invert itself this year, with Harper winning if Richardson and McCullough split their shared voters. 'American Idol' Season 24 finale airs on Monday.

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