American Idol’s delayed Top 14 results sent Julián Kalel and Jake Thistle home. In a separate elimination later in the April 6 episode, Lionel Richie used his save to keep Rae, leaving Jesse Findling eliminated.
Who was eliminated in the delayed Top 14 vote?
The vote delayed at the end of the March 30, 2026 episode was announced on the April 6 follow-up: Julián Kalel and Jake Thistle were eliminated, and the competition moved from 14 singers to 12, according to Raechal Shewfelt’s April 7 report for Entertainment Weekly, syndicated by AOL.
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The twelve contestants who advanced were Brooks Rosser, Braden Rumfelt, Chris Tungseth, Daniel Stallworth, Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, Keyla Richardson, Kyndal Inskeep, Lucas Leon, Philmon Lee, Rae, and Jesse Findling.
Why was the result delayed?
The March 30 episode, themed “Songs of Faith,” ended without naming the eliminated contestants. Host Ryan Seacrest said the count needed more time because of the incoming vote volume connected to a new social-media voting method. He told viewers, “To ensure complete accuracy with the numbers,” before explaining that the results would not be announced that night.
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Judge Lionel Richie described the influx by saying, “We broke the machine that we created to get all the votes.” The report called the volume unprecedented, but gave no vote total or defined historical comparison. It also did not publish a full account of the voting rules.
Who left after Lionel Richie used his save?
The delayed Top 14 cut and the later save were separate results in the April 6 episode. Rae and Jesse Findling were the bottom two in a subsequent elimination. Richie saved Rae, and Findling was eliminated.
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What was reported about when to watch?
The April 7 report said American Idol aired Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. That is a schedule reported at the time, not confirmation of the program’s current broadcast time or streaming availability.
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