Some Absolutely Staggering Facts About American Idol You Should Know Before You Start Watching Again

Contestant Order Was Determined Out Of Spite

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The order of the performances on Idol was deliberate and important. The producers had what was called a “pimp slot” which is where they would put their favorite contestants and performances first or last because they would be more memorable. In 2008, David Archuleta was almost always given a pimp slot because he was a fan favorite and drew a lot of attention.

Season six runner-up Blake Lewis said that the pimp slot was totally transparent to the contestants. He said that executive producer Nigel Lythgoe heard one of Blake’s performances and told him that since he had such a powerful performance he won the last spot of the night.

Kelly Clarkson dated a contestant, and you probably couldn’t guess which one.