In its 23rd season on the 2025 TV lineup, American Idol culminated with Jamal Roberts emerging victorious after outperforming his competitors. Notably, Carrie Underwood graced the judging panel this time around and reflected on the series’ evolution since its days on Fox. Interestingly, one feature absent from the ABC adaptation is the farewell segment, and the show’s executive producer offered insights into whether or not it may reappear in future seasons.
In the earlier seasons of American Idol, once host Ryan Seacrest announced which contestant had received the least number of votes and was being eliminated, viewers would spend a few precious moments with the departing singer, reflecting on their journey in the competition. The song “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter became iconic as it played during these farewell montages starting from Season 5 (a year after Carrie Underwood’s victory). TVLine asked showrunner and Executive Producer Megan Michaels Wolflick if this tradition might be revived, to which she replied:
Instead of having a dedicated segment for goodbyes as we did in the results show when “Had a Bad Day” by Daniel Powter was fitting, it’s challenging now due to real-time voting and coast-to-coast live voting. We aim to fill the two hours with music and other exciting elements, but we regret that there won’t be a specific goodbye moment, unfortunately. [Laughs]
It’s quite logical that this part got cut when ‘American Idol’ transitioned from airing two episodes per week to just one. Earlier, contestants would compete in one episode, giving viewers a full day to vote, and the results of these votes would be unveiled the following evening.
In this setup, all events unfold during a single, two-hour live broadcast. Consequently, outcomes often arrive at the last moments when the credits are already being shown.
In the past, singers would often weep while revisiting this transformative moment, as the poignant words of Daniel Powter echoed. Nowadays, they scarcely have a chance to comprehend their destiny before Ryan Seacrest signs off America for the night (I wonder whatever happened to “Seacrest out”).
Megan Michaels Wolflick did admit she liked the farewell segment, though, saying:
Of course, it would be delightful if we had a couple more minutes at the close of each day to reflect on everyone’s path they’ve taken.
In other words, there’s a possibility that we may witness a special farewell for the runners-up in upcoming seasons. It all boils down to finding the right moment and perhaps keeping viewers on the edge of their seats until the very end. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing if they implement this change.
Regarding the upcoming seasons of American Idol, there’s speculation among fans about who might be sitting at the judges’ table. As of now, no definitive news has been released by ABC concerning Carrie Underwood returning as a judge following Katy Perry’s departure. She had filled in for Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan during Season 23.
Keep an eye out for updates regarding that topic, and if you missed spending more time with the contestants from Season 23 who were eliminated, you can catch up by streaming their episodes with a Hulu membership.
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2025-06-06 06:07