American Idol 2016 finalist Avalon Young sang in front of the judges. What happened to her audition?
Fans of American Idol may have noted that the show did not air Avalon Young’s audition, although she did reveal that she had performed in front of the judges, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan.
Last November, the singer posted news to her social media accounts, writing “Thought second chances like this couldn’t come up. i auditioned AGAIN for @americanidol. Tune in feb. 19th to see what happens love u.”
Her return to American Idol was notable–For the first time ever, a former American Idol Top 10 finalist auditioned in front of the judges for another shot at the crown. Avalon left season 15–the final season on FOX in 2016–in 8th place.
But then all six American Idol season 21 audition episodes aired with not even a glimpse of the singer. In the meantime, Avalon had deleted the announcement off of her Instagram account, which probably means she knew ahead of time that American Idol had decided NOT to air her audition.
The singer addressed her missing audition on her Instagram stories Sunday night after the show aired, writing “They ain’t air my audition but…” and then posting a series of photos from her audition. In one shot, she is clearly holding a Golden Ticket.
“Just cuz they didn’t air me doesn’t mean i ain’t goin back to hollywood!”
And then, to make the point clearer, she posted to Twitter. “lmao y’all TRIPPIN! just cuz they didn’t air me doesn’t mean i ain’t goin back to hollywood!”
It would have been crazy for the judges to NOT send a former Top 10 finalist to Hollywood. So that should go without saying.
While Avalon doesn’t say WHY they decided not to air her audition, the reason probably has nothing to do with her talent. The show likely invited her back to highlight what she has been through the past couple of years. And it’s been A LOT.
Avalon was diagnosed with Brain Cancer in 2021
Avalon came out as LGBT shortly after leaving the show. That was a happy moment! The real challenge, however, came in March 2021 when the singer was diagnosed with Brain Cancer and underwent chemo and several gruelling brain surgeries.
For her third surgery, in August 2021, Avalon went under the knife while AWAKE. “Avalon will be sedated during the beginning of the surgery, then brought out of sedation to full consciousness, so she can interact with the Surgeon during the procedure,” Avalon’s mother explained on her GoFundMe page. “Our Psychologist will be attending and in the operating room with her.” The tumor sat very close to parts of the brain that controlled motor and speech skills. Very risky, but she came out of it without neurologica loss.
After the surgery, Avalon went through several more rounds of radiation and chemo. Avalon endured a lot, but in the meantime, she has continued to write and release music.
In other words, I suspect that the show saw an appealing backstory. But with SO MANY emotional backstories to choose from, Avalon’s ended up on the cutting room floor.
It’s possible fans will see Avalon in Hollywood. Yeah…this is a spoiler sorry. But she since the judges cut her by the end of Hollywood Week, is her story something the producers will pursue? We’ll find out when Hollywood Week begins next week, Sunday April 2 on ABC.
