AMERICAN IDOL - IDOL VIEWERS SURPRISINGLY GIVE SMITHSON THE HOOK

IDOL VIEWERS SURPRISINGLY GIVE SMITHSON THE HOOK

Surprising many TV columnists and bloggers who had expected Jason Castro or Brooke White to be the next contestants eliminated from American Idol, viewers instead voted out Carly Smithson, whose performance on Tuesday had received much praise from the show's judges. On Wednesday's telecast, which drew a 14.2 rating and a 21 share (22.62 million viewers) the judges seemed to agree that the show had become more of a popularity contest than a talent contest. Even White, who had muffed the lyrics of her song and had to restart on Tuesday, seemed surprised that she was among the five finalists left standing. Also on the Idol telecast, President Bush made his second appearance of the week on a reality show -- he had appeared Monday on NBC's Deal or No Deal -- when he announced that the final tally for the Idol Gives Back charity show had come to $65 million.

24/04/2008