Gil Kaufman of MTV News clears up the Wildcard round!
Some fan sites speculated that the contestants with the next-highest vote totals, i.e., those who came in fourth or fifth during the first three rounds, will automatically make it to the wild card. Others have guessed that 12 contestants will be competing for the three spots next Thursday. The sometimes-reliable “Idol” fan site Mjsbigblog.com also reportedly heard that wild-card contestants will sing the same song they performed during their semifinal week.
I’ll take the link, and overlook the dis. Maybe.
While those rumors have been creative, an “Idol” spokesperson said they are mostly off-base. Quite simply, each judge can pick two contestants from the top 36 ‘ from which everyone is eligible ‘ and those eight (or possibly nine) singers will perform a song on the one-hour March 5 show, with three advancing into the top 12.
The same rules apply as during the audition phases, with majority picks winning the day and judge Simon Cowell casting the tie-breaking vote should there be a 2-2 deadlock, the spokesperson explained.
“Mostly” off base? Are the kids going to reprise a song they already sang on the show or can they pick something new?
Are the judges are going to listen to the kids sing, and then decide right there and then whether they advance into the Top 12? If so, that sounds really contrived–like they know who they’re going to advance ahead of time. They probably do, but why make it obvious?
And was Simon Cowell confused today when he said the wildcard picks wouldn’t necessarily come from the Top 36? Or was it a misprint?
I just updated my Idol schedule in case you were looking ahead to the next couple of weeks. Check it out HERE.
By the way, the speculation about the highest vote getter automatically advancing into the wildcard didn’t come from fans, it came from this report of Ken Warwick’s December press conference.
Unless the report was in error, It quite possible the producers intended to do it that way, and then changed their minds.
