‘American Idol’ Fans Outraged After Arthur Gunn Returns to the Competition
ABC/Eric McCandless Reading Time: 4 minutes
Disney Night on American Idol started out with magic in the air. Ryan Seacrest wasted no time revealing which Season 18 contestant won The Comeback, with Nepali singer Arthur Gunn emerging from the doors on the stage. What was supposed to be a night full of pixie dust and fun quickly turned sour when fans took to social media to voice their opinions about Arthur’s return.
‘American Idol’ Brings Back Arthur Gunn Leaving Fans Outraged
Arthur put his own spin on “Remember Me” from Coco for his big performance. Mentor John Stamos warned him not to change up the arrangement too much so that the song was still recognizable. But Arthur did what he does best and created a brand new arrangement. He is masterful, a guitar whiz, and pretty much everything that the next American Idol should be. So why are fans calling his return to the competition so unfair?
After live voting took place throughout the episode, three contestants were eliminated. Six names were called and Arthur was left standing on the stage with Cassandra Coleman, Deshawn Goncalves and Alyssa Wray. Seacrest announced that Arthur was safe which meant it was the end of the line for the other three early standouts in the competition.
Twitter Was Fuming After the Results Were Announced
Fans took Alyssa’s elimination pretty hard. Many pointed out that Arthur’s return to the competition took a spot away from her in the Top 7.
“This is pure BS. This is Alyssa Wray or Cassandra Coleman’s time. This is their season. It’s very UNFAIR that the man from past season elbowed them out. Very UNFAIR. This comeback twist is pure BS! I’m MAD and SAD,” wrote one viewer on Twitter.
This is pure BS. This is Alyssa Wray or Casdandra Coleman's time. This is their season. Its very UNFAIR that the man from past season elbowed them out. Very UNFAIR. This comeback twist is pure BS! Im MAD and SAD. 🤬😭 #AmericanIdol
— 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 #REGISTERandVOTE (@c_john08) May 3, 2021
The Comeback twist was introduced after Season 18 was forced to go virtual amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Arthur was named the runner up behind the eventual winner Just Sam. Now, he is re-competing for a chance to win on Season 19 in the most unexpected twist in American Idol history.
“I hate it for Alyssa definitely should have been in the top 7. I think Arthur is good but I also feel as if they’re really setting it up for him to win,” another fan wrote.
Alyssa truly impressed the judges and viewers with her performance of “A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes” from Cinderella. She looked like a Disney princess during this performance in a gorgeous dress and it was definitely her best performance of the entire competition. Fans thought so too until Arthur bested the Perryville, Kentucky teen in the voting.
“Alyssa should not have been eliminated. I like him, but not even sure it’s fair that Arthur Gunn is being allowed to re-compete this season.”
Alyssa had tears streaming down her face once Seacrest announced that her American Idol journey had come to an end. It was a hard moment to watch as the judges gave the eliminated contestants a standing ovation.
“Arthur Gun shouldn’t have made it into #AmericanIdol Top 7. He ripped the chance for Alyssa Wray, Cassandra Coleman, and DeShawn. At least those 3 are actually part of this season,” another fan wrote.
Why Fans Should Take Their Anger Out on the Producers, Not the Contestants
Arthur has already proven that he can get the votes he needs to make it to the finale, but will history repeat itself? Just Sam actually predicted in an exclusive interview that Arthur would win Season 19 of American Idol. It seems like many have the same idea that the season is now his to win.
If Arthur does end up winning the season, fans should not take their anger out on him. It was the producer’s idea to bring back last season’s contestants and grant them this chance. They know exactly how many votes he is capable of getting and wanted to up the ante in the competition.
Plus, fans are the ones that voted him through to the Top 7. While the Twitter crowd was pretty angry that Arthur went through and Alyssa went home, there are other groups of voters that are happy with the outcome. Do not be surprised if he makes it to the finale, knocking out some of the other fan favorites in the competition.
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