‘American Idol’ EP just revealed why a fan-favorite segment might never return — and we’re not okay
‘American Idol’ has made a lot of changes since leaving Fox and being picked up by the ABC network. Another segment that died amidst the network change was the farewell segment dedicated to the eliminated singers. Everyone who got voted out was shown a clip capturing their journey on the singing competition show. It was indeed a great goodbye present for the contestants and their fans. The farewell montage was famously played to Daniel Powter’s ‘Bad Day,’ leaving the viewers with a pang of emotion. In a recent interview with TVLine, the show’s executive producer, Megan Michaels Wolflick, revealed whether the segment would make a comeback.
“Well, that worked because we had a results show. We had a second show where the whole hour was dedicated to the results,” the EP said. She revealed that they could have that moment because the previous format of the show allowed that. In the newer seasons on the ABC Network, the show has shifted to real-time voting and the coast-to-coast live voting format. “It’s so difficult to have that proper [goodbye], unfortunately,” the EP added. Wolflick revealed that they aim to keep each episode “jam-packed” with music and everything else that’s happening in and around the show.
Moreover, ‘American Idol’ went from two episodes to one, making it difficult to fit the farewell segment into it. Earlier, the contestants competed in one episode, and the audience had a day to cast their votes. And those results were in the second episode, accompanied by the farewell clips. Now, with the instant voting format, the possibility of having the farewell segment back seems impossible. As everything takes place in one live two-hour show, and the results come in within a few seconds of voting. The show will no longer have contestants crying while watching their 'Idol' journey. Now, they barely have time to let the results sink in before host Ryan Secrest signs off and concludes the season.
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However, Wolflick admitted that she enjoyed a farewell segment while it lasted. “But yes, at the end of the day, if we could have an extra two minutes to look back at each person’s journey, that would be lovely,” she added, still giving the fans hope. ‘American Idol’ season 23 recently concluded, and Jamal Roberts was named the champion. The Meridian contestant beat finalists John Foster and Breanna Nix to win the coveted title. The season 23 champion is hailed for conveying emotions through his voice. During his appearance on ‘The Love You Moore Show’, Roberts revealed that he draws pain and inspiration from his traumatic childhood.
“I pulled from abandonment. That was that — I was abandoned. I felt like I was abandoned,” he told the host. The beloved singing competition is now gearing up for season 24, which is expected to premiere sometime next year. The network has not announced whether Carrie Underwood will continue to be Katy Perry’s replacement on the judges panel alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. The same judges might return unless the ‘Roar’ singer decided to take back her seat.