'American Idol' Finale Sees Decline in Ratings as Season 21 Faces Criticism for Alleged 'Rigged' Results
The American Idol Season 21 finale reportedly had the lowest viewer rating after fans suspected that the results of the season were rigged since fan-favorite Wé Ani was eliminated before she could make it to the Top 3 of the show, reported The Sun.
The show has been a topic of hot gossip since its audition phase, and it only gets more interesting from here on. The show had a fluctuating graph with its viewer ratings since its commencement and it has been constantly making headlines for both positive and negative reasons. The finale episode featured the judges, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan along with finalists Colin Stough, Megan Danielle and Iam Tongi who produced entertaining and jaw-dropping performances for a roaring crowd of fans and their families.
Exclusive reports mention that despite the incredible performances and a seemingly deserving win, the episode only received a total of 5.7 million views, a drop since its 6.3 million viewer ratings on May 14. The finale episode rating seems to be closer to the 5.3 million viewer rating of the season premiere on February 19. The show reached its lowest rating on March 12 when it only had a total of 3.3 million viewers.
The latest season was won by Iam Tongi, who performed a beautiful original from his new single I'll Be Seeing You, displaying the powerful and intricate quality of his vocal range that brought him so far in the competition. Tongi sported a black t-shirt and matching pants with a printed red shirt as he put on quite the show with his iconic guitar. Although Tongi has mammoth talent, fans haven't been very accepting of the crowned winner and claimed that he "didn't deserve to win." A few others made a comparison between him and fellow contestant Wé Ani who was a fan favorite on the show.
As soon as American Idol's official Instagram post featured a farewell post following Wé Ani's elimination from her journey to the finals, fans were quick to criticize the decision, expressing their anger and disappointment on the said post. "I don't understand how Iam made it and now her...this show should be based off VOICE, not sad stories," said a fan. "I don't know what people are doing, this girl should've been the American Idol," said another. "Unbelievable!! Sorry, but they got it wrong...so wrong!! We Ani belongs in the top 2!! Very Disappointed!!" said one more.
Wé Ani captured hearts with her stunning performance of Into the Unknown from Frozen 2 as her first song and followed it up with a moving and powerful rendition of The Climb by Miley Cyrus that simply blew fans and judges away. Even though she was mind-blowing, fans were crestfallen upon watching her be eliminated, and among the 6.1 million fans, many even claimed they would not watch the show anymore - a possible reason for the finale having a low viewer rate.
