It was Groundhog’s Day in May at American Idol on Wednesday night, as the final four girls faced off for a second time in a battle of the ballads. You saw all the action (or lack of it) and you head the runs and big notes, but what didn’t you see? Read on for a view from inside…
1. He’s often in attendance but not always seen among the throngs of exciting audience members, but Idol creator and XIX Entertainment founder Simon Fuller was most certainly in the house for the final four, part deux.
2. Also in the crowd (and seated two rows away from Babyface): Mariah Carey’s mother, who received a warm hello from all of the judge’s fellow Idol cast members -- except Nicki Minaj. Clearly elated to have her in attendance, Mariah took several selfies with her mom during the commercial breaks.
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3. Babyface was accompanied to Idol by songwriter Carole Bayer Sager and is clearly very close to Randy Jackson, who threw up deuces to the hitmaker multiple times from his perch at the judges’ table. As for who of the finalists Babyface was feeling? He seemed to enjoy Amber and Candice's second performances the most, bobbing his head and clapping along.
4. Harry Connick Jr., seated next to Mary Murphy, was also among Idol’s special guests. Perhaps beat from all the mentoring, he exhibited little reaction to the girls’ second performances, and only gave a standing ovation when the whole audience was was up on its feet. Still, he seemed committed to the competition, clearly talking about Kree Harrison with Keith Urban, Mariah and Randy during one commercial break (no love from Nicki). When his head wasn’t in the contest, his hand was busy signing stacks of autographs.
5. Keith Urban is nothing if not gracious. During the commercial breaks, he was constantly taking pictures with girls in the floor seats. During one such selfie sprint, he barely made it back to his chair before the show went back on the air. He’s certainly one of the people – not only did he dive into the floor pits to talk to fans and sign autographs, he was also the only judge without a glam squad.
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6. Angie Miller didn’t look nervous on TV, but seeing her feet fidgeting nervously under the piano said otherwise.
7. And the family participation award goes to… Candice Glover’s clan, who was representing for the St. Helena Island, South Carolina native with purple shirts that said, “We love Candice!”
8. Ryan Seacrest got political at the end of the show. No, he wasn’t weighing in on gun control or gay marriage. Rather, he taped a video segment about Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa praising his efforts in the realm of education.
Twitter: @Idol_Worship
