Another American Idol contestant has dropped out of the competition — and we’ve got questions!
As Perezcious readers may have seen, there has been some extra Idol drama recently! First off, contestant Sara Beth Liebe decided to quit the whole competition out of nowhere! On Sunday’s episode she said in a confessional before her performance she felt like she didn’t “fit the mold” of a star — and shocked everyone after her performance by saying she was heading home:
“This opportunity is really rad but this is actually going to be my last performance. My heart’s at home, so I’m gonna get home to my babies. They kind of need me, so thank you. Um, I’m going home. It went a lot better than I thought it would, but I’m gonna head home to get home to my babies.”
Wow! Choosing momhood was especially meaningful considering weeks earlier in the competition, judge Katy Perry made a joke about the auditioner being only 25 years old and already a mom of three! Sara Beth called out the Firework singer saying she felt mom-shamed by the incident. Still a big leap to leaving, but she knows best what she can and can’t handle when it comes to fame.
But Sara Beth isn’t the only one going home on her own accord! On the very next day’s episode, the judges were in for another shock when contestant Kaya Stewart decided to leave the competition as well!
Related: Katy Says She’s 5 Weeks Sober Amid ‘Pact’ With Orlando Bloom!
Kaya, whose claim to fame is that she’s the daughter of Eurythmics rockstar Dave Stewart, had been prepping with her duet partner, Fire Wilmore, to sing former Idol Adam Lambert‘s hit Whataya Want From Me. According to host Ryan Seacrest, things were off to a “great start” — but over the course of the night the 23-year-old contestant didn’t feel as though her heart was in it. Kaya explained:
“Overnight, things took a sudden turn for the worst. It’s duet day right now and I’m really sick, so it was a long night.”
In her confessional during the episode, Fire noted her duet partner’s health worsening, as well:
“Everything originally was amazing when Kaya and I were rehearsing this morning and going through things and figuring out our plan. Throughout the day she started getting sicker and sicker and getting a fever, she couldn’t remember the words or anything. It was less and less progress, we were going in the opposite direction.”
So awful!
Kaya, looking especially tired in her confessional, said she “felt like dying” — noting it wouldn’t be “fair” to herself or her partner if she went through with the duet while she felt so ill. Before the pair got together to perform, Kaya made it clear she was bowing out of the performance AND the competition, telling the judges:
“I have a little announcement to make. I got sick at the beginning of Hollywood Week and I have been trying to push myself and keep going and during this performance I got to work with Fire and it was such a great experience, she’s so talented and we bonded so much, but I realize that I wasn’t able to give 100%, so I’ve decided to not perform. But Fire is going to perform and I’m really grateful that I got to be here and thank you. guys, but I’m not going to be performing.”
When Katy asked if she meant she’d be leaving the show altogether, the young woman tearfully confirmed:
“Yes. So me not performing today means I’m no longer going to be in the competition.”
Two contestants quitting on their own? In the same week? How strange… And singers who seemed to be doing so well, to boot!
Kaya left crying, saying:
“I have to leave, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
Fire and Katy were also left in tears! Fire tried to get through her performance with Jayna Elise, who volunteered to fill in for Kaya. The performance had everyone’s emotions running high, but at the end of it the Teenage Dream songstress praised Fire for her bravery:
“I’m proud of you. You’re growing, little by little. You can’t control a lot, but you can control yourself and you can control your future. Thank you for standing up here and continuing to try. Thank you for swinging. Thank you for not forfeiting. Thank you for fighting. And in this moment, we get to control a little bit of your future. You’re going forward, Fire.”
You can watch the full emotional moment (below):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8anQum62AAI
We seriously hope Kaya is doing better now and on an uphill climb. What a wild season on American Idol already — and it’s barely even started!
Reactions, Perezcious readers?
[Image via American Idol/Eurythmics/YouTube]