‘Alter Ego’ Recap: Will.i.am Offers to Pay Winner Dipper Scott’s Medical Bills
Greg Gayne/FOX Reading Time: 3 minutes
On Wednesday night, FOX’s new singing competition Alter Ego returned for the finale of the first season. The series, hosted by Rocsi Diaz, uses modern motion-capture technology to put a totally new spin on the classic talent show format.
The show’s contestants design their own avatar or “Alter Ego.” They control the avatar’s movements from backstage while they perform. The winner of this season will receive $100,000, as well as the mentorship of the show’s celebrity judges — Alanis Morissette, Grimes, Nick Lachey, and Will.i.am.
Tonight, the final four contestants (Seven, Misty Rose, Dipper Scott, and Night Journey) performed one last time, and the judges deliberated before choosing Dipper Scott (aka Jacob Thomsen) as the winner of the first season after an emotional performance that inspired a generous offer from judge Will.i.am.
Dipper Scott Is the Winner of ‘Alter Ego’ Season 1
Before announcing this season’s winner, host Rocsi Diaz said it wasn’t a unanimous decision, but the majority of the judges voted to give Dipper Scott the prize. Grimes later admitted that she voted for Seven instead.
For his final performance, Dipper performed “All I Want” by Kodaline, showing off his emotional voice in one of his best performances of the season. I had predicted that Dipper was least likely to win, because he had some serious competition and didn’t display the same showmanship as some of the other singers. But the judges have made plenty of surprising decisions this season, so what’s one more for good measure?
Before his win was announced, Dipper and judge Will.i.am shared the most heartwarming moment of the night. Dipper, who has Crohn’s disease, mentioned that he would use the prize money to pay off his medical bills.
Will got choked up as he told Dipper that he would help him pay his bills whether he won the show or not. Dipper was clearly moved by Will’s generous offer, and host Diaz said she was holding back tears over the beautiful moment. The audience stood up and applauded Will for the gesture. After Dipper won, Will offered to double the prize money.
SEE ALSO: 7 SONGS RELEASED BY ‘ALTER EGO’ CONTESTANTS BEFORE THE SHOW THAT ARE TOTAL BOPS
Judge Grimes Wanted Seven to Win
Grimes was the only judge to vote against Dipper Scott as the winner. She shared that she voted for Seven (aka Kyara Tetrault), who delivered an electrifying performance of “House of the Rising Sun,” showing off some cool dance moves and even multiplying her avatar on stage.
Lachey called it “as close to perfection as I’ve seen this entire season,” while Grimes said it “feels like a new song.” Appropriately, Seven performed “If I Were a Boy” when she was eliminated. Her deep voice made some of the judges uncertain about her gender.
I had predicted that Night Journey (aka Israa Darwich) would win the season if it was up to the judges. They’ve been huge fans of her throughout the competition, saving her from elimination twice. I haven’t always been her biggest fan, but I thought tonight’s performance of “Scars to Your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara was her strongest of the season.
When she was eliminated, Israa shared that this has been a “life-changing experience for her” and has boosted her confidence. She shared that she wanted the chance to “be a musician without any prior judgment.” Nick Lachey complimented her smile, while Grimes said she’s excited to see her career as “a goth Muslim who makes indie pop.”
Were you surprised by the judges’ decision to choose Dipper Scott as the winner? Who were you rooting for in the finale? Let us know in the comments below.
I would have been very disappointed if Jacob, a.k.a Dipper Scott didn’t win. In my opinion, he was the best singer, and the judges got it right. Congratulations Jacob!!
I loved both Dipper Scott & Seven, but I thought that Seven was more the ‘future’ of what they were looking for. She was a gender neutral, her voice had a beautiful tone that you don’t hear & her avatar had more of a current & futuristic tone to it. Dipper Scott had a wonderful voice & both of them grabbed your soul, but I feel that Dipper Scott is going to be more of a stand still & sing avatar. I think that Wil I Am was absolutely beautiful in his offer to pay his medical bills, truly was… Read more »