Maddie Poppe Wins ‘American Idol’, Boyfriend Caleb Lee Hutchinson Is Runner-Up – Just after the show ended, Billboard spoke with Poppe and Hutchinson about the outcome as well as their newly-revealed romance. “We met during Hollywood Week [in January],” Poppe explained. “I was out in the audience, and I remember seeing him thinking, ‘Ahh.’ I heard him sing and he was incredible. He was the standout of the day for me and I thought I had to get him in my group for the group round and I did. We were in group round together and they didn’t air it but we’re getting that footage. After that, we hung out every day. And we started dating about three months ago.” “We both didn’t want to make our private lives public and have it interfere with the show,” Hutchinson confirms. “But it got to a point where we both thought, why not?” – Read more at Billboard
‘American Idol’ winner Maddie Poppe opens up about Caleb Lee Hutchinson romance, Katy Perry advice – “We didn’t really want people to think that we weren’t focused on the show, and also Cade and Gabby had just kind of announced that they were dating, and so we didn’t want to take away their thunder, you know,” Poppe tells Yahoo Entertainment the morning after her win, adding with a laugh, “Caleb and I kind of joked, when people would ask about us, that we were cousins!” The other reason for the couple’s secrecy was more competitive and strategic: “Caleb needed the women’s vote. So, we both were like, ‘He needs to appear single!’” Poppe reveals — demonstrating just how supportive the two were of each other throughout the season. – Read more at Yahoo.com
American Idol: Gabby Barrett Reflects on ‘Bittersweet’ Finale Results, Talks Maddie and Caleb’s ‘Love Connection’ – “When they said Caleb’s name first, and it was down to me and Maddie, something in my gut told me Maddie was getting through and I wasn’t,” Barrett told TVLine and other media outlets on Tuesday. “I don’t know if the Lord was telling me, or what, but I was OK with it. I really was. I love [Maddie and Caleb] like they’re my brother and my sister, so to see them advance made me happy as well. Immediately after I got off stage, of course you’re going to have a few tears because you realize, ‘OK, my job is done here. I’m not going to win American Idol. I have to accept that.’ … But you have to pick yourself up and realize not to focus on negative things.” – Read more at TVLine
‘I tried to make you as proud as possible:’ Gabby Barrett thanks Pittsburgh for supporting her on ‘American Idol’ – “I tried my best to make Pittsburgh very, very proud,” Barrett said via satellite. “I know I come from a hard-working city, and a very supportive city as well. Pittsburgh backs their locals for sure. I tried to make you all as proud as possible, and I hope I did it.” While she described it as a “bittersweet” feeling to come up short, Barrett had nothing but love for winner Maddie Poppe and fellow runner-up Caleb Lee Hutchinson. – See the Video at WTAE
Trent Harmon’s Wise Words for the ‘American Idol’ Finale’s Winners and Losers (Exclusive) – “What I told them is, ‘This is all gonna be over in a week. It’s all gonna be over. Whether you win or lose, you need to have a plan for the morning after the show,” Harmon recounted while sitting down with ET’s Sophie Schillaci on Monday. “Every song idea that comes into your head is a potential cut on your record that you’re gonna put out one day,” he added. “That conversation’s coming. So be ready the day after your show, whether you win or lose.” – Read more at ETOnline
EXCLUSIVE: Here’s why Simon Cowell was dreading new ‘America’s Got Talent’ season – Yeah, we were thinking, 11, 12 . . . 14 — like you do in the lifts (elevators),” he laughs. “But we were stuck with it and ironically in season 13 we got one of the biggest weirdos in my life turning up.” That’s saying a lot considering past “AGT” contestants have included a guy who smashed several large blocks of ice by diving head-first into them, a man who threw plungers on guys’ backs to try to get them to stick, and a puppetry act that featured a person in a giant squirrel costume eating a puppet of a boy. – NYDailyNews
Katie Stevens Opens Up About Anxiety Struggles in Powerful Instagram – Because May is mental health awareness month, The Bold Type actress opened up a powerful conversation on her Instagram Stories early this morning (May 22) with her fans about mental health.
“Over the past few years, my anxiety has gotten worse as I’ve gotten further into my career,” Katie writes honestly. “I worry about everything, am constantly afraid of the worse case scenarios happening to me, I cry when I’m overwhelmed, cry on planes, cry even when nothing is really wrong. It’s alsos caused me to not be able to acclimate to their new lifestyle of being ‘known’ by people.” – Read more at Just Jared
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