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<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="14374448" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sanjaya-malakar" source="Orion">Sanjaya Malakar</keyword> was an "<keyword id="12528075" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="american-idol" source="Orion">American Idol</keyword>" finalist as a teen in 2007.</li><li>The singer is known for being criticized by Simon Cowell and widely mocked in pop culture.</li></ul><p>These days, Sanjaya Malakar would prefer to be known for making delicious pastries — not for being comic relief on "<a href="https://www.insider.com/second-place-american-idol-singers-reveal-what-it-was-like-losing-2022">American Idol</a>."</p><p>The night before his <keyword id="11905869" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="interview" source="Orion">interview</keyword> with Insider, the 32-year-old was in his kitchen making limoncello panna cotta. But 15 years ago, the then-17-year-old auditioned for season six of "American Idol" without any idea of the legacy that would follow.</p><p>Sanjaya — who quickly gained Oprah-esque first-name recognition on the show —is the first to acknowledge he's no Fantasia Barrino or Carrie Underwood, but he's ready to move past the same jokes he's been hearing since he was a teenager and earn respect as a fully developed artist.</p><p>Over the past few years, he said, he's had invitations to come back on "Idol" for live shows and press opportunities, but he soon felt that a pattern developed.</p><p>"I went back and it just felt like they were really excited for me to be able to be made fun of more," he told Insider. As grateful as he was for the show, he said he felt like "Idol" played a game of "let's see how many punchlines we can get out of him."</p><p>For years, he said, he tried to "roll with it." But when Sanjaya was invited back to "Idol" in May <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/american-idol-anniversary-feature">for the 20th anniversary</a>, he decided to set ground rules.</p><p>"I'm totally down," Sanjaya recalled telling the "Idol" team. "I just want to say one thing: Every time I've ever gone on to 'American Idol,' I've been the butt of the joke."</p><p>"If I do come back," he added, "it would be really great if I was able to present myself as an artist, not as a reality-television joke."</p><p>After Sanjaya set new terms for himself, he said, a showrunner told him his flight to Los Angeles for the reunion would be too expensive to cover.</p><p>"I guess boundaries are expensive," he told Insider.</p><h2>His first brush with reality television was just a small dose of what would come</h2><div type="image" title="2007 american idol final twelve grouped together on the red carpet" height="2011" width="2681" msid="92680881" hostid="261" sizebytes="382462"></div><p>The Seattle-born singer <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-william-hung-she-bangs-audition-story-2022-6">auditioned for "Idol"</a> with his older sister, Shyamali, and he has said he immediately felt as if producers were trying to fish a "sibling rivalry" angle out of them.</p><p>In behind-the-scenes interviews, he said he felt he was pushed to answer questions in a certain way that felt "contrived" and "calculated." It was his first glimpse into produced television, where story sometimes supersedes reality.</p><p>When <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UftlO6J7HOc">Sanjaya met the judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul</a> for the first time, he serenaded them with Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)." All of the judges agreed to put him through to Hollywood. Shyamali also made it through but was cut before the top 40.</p><p>As Sanjaya made it further and further in the competition, he started to lose goodwill with the judges, especially Cowell.</p><p>After his first audition, the most positive praise the British personality had for the teen amounted to lukewarm acceptance.</p><p>"I'm going to hate myself for this," but, "it wasn't horrible," Cowell said after Sanjaya's performance of "Bésame Mucho" during the top eight.</p><p>Representatives for ABC, Fox, and "American Idol" did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. </p><h2>But the mockery and criticism of Sanjaya quickly reached new heights</h2><p>Despite the jabs at his expense, Sanjaya had a devoted following of fans — dubbed Fanjayas — and even won best male teen reality star at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards.</p><p>But Cowell wasn't Sanjaya's only critic. The second line of the singer's Wikipedia page still describes him as "commonly parodied in popular culture."</p><p>On March 19, 2007, the radio host <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/31/arts/television/31idol.html">Howard Stern encouraged his listeners to vote for Sanjaya</a> through a website called Vote for the Worst as a publicity stunt meant to ruin the show.</p><p>That same week, <a href="https://www.seattlepi.com/ae/tv/article/Idol-s-Sanjaya-Malakar-mocked-on-SNL-1232306.php">Sanjaya was parodied on "Saturday Night Live" by Andy Samberg</a> opposite Kristen Wiig and Fred Armisen as his adoring, crying fans. (Sanjaya was <a href="https://uproxx.com/tv/pete-davidson-donald-trump-sanjaya-malakar-snl/">also an "SNL" punchline in 2015</a>, courtesy of the comedian Pete Davidson).</p><p>Week after week, Cowell marveled at Sanjaya's ability to stay in the competition. At one point, Cowell <a href="https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Cowell+in+Idol+threat.-a0161223171">even threatened to quit "Idol"</a> if Sanjaya won.</p><p>Things came to a head during the top seven, when Sanjaya sang Bonnie Raitt's "Something to Talk About." The performance earned mixed reception from Jackson and Abdul.</p><p>Cowell called it "utterly horrendous" and "as bad as anything we see at the beginning of 'American Idol.'"</p><p>The judge's words yielded boos from the crowd, and the host Ryan Seacrest even stepped in to defend the young singer.</p><p>"Simon, even if it wasn't his best performance, you've really never liked this guy," Seacrest said. "So was it the song? Or you just don't like Sanjaya?"</p><p>That night, Sanjaya was <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-runner-up-knew-kelly-clarkson-would-win-season-one-2022">eliminated from the show</a>.</p><h2>Sanjaya has grown up a lot in the past decade, but he says people are still stuck in 2007</h2><p>Looking back, Sanjaya said he had no way of knowing how drastically the trajectory of his life would change in the span of a few months.</p><p>"I didn't realize how intensely it would happen that there would really be no turning back," he said. "And there will be no way ever for me in my life to take back the memories that so many people have of me in their living room."</p><div type="image" title="Sanjaya Malakar on the American Idol stage in a white suit singing" height="1510" width="2013" msid="92680883" hostid="261" sizebytes="80938"></div><p>After "Idol," Sanjaya was caught in the awkward position between needing money to pay rent and being advised not to do anything to affect his public image.</p><p>"Getting a job after doing 'American Idol' was really difficult for me," he said. "Not because people wouldn't hire me or anything like that, but because I had people telling me: 'No, you can't get a job. If you get a job, people won't value you as much as an artist.'"</p><p>He recalled people telling him, "You don't want people to see <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-interesting-things-you-never-knew-from-contestants-2022-6">Sanjaya from 'American Idol'</a> working at a pizza shop."</p><p>Sanjaya added: "I'm like, 'Oh, cool. Yeah, I get that. But also I need to pay rent.'"</p><p>As time passed, he created a life independent from "Idol," but he realized that some people had a harder time letting go of his association with the show.</p><p>One night, Sanjaya was headed to bed when an old friend called him from a New York bar and said: "Hey, I'm talking to my regular and he doesn't believe that I know you! Sing the song!"</p><p>Caught off guard, he tried to tell his friend that "no one gives a fuck" that he was on season six of "American Idol." He says he felt embarrassed when the bar patron joined the call and asked, "Who is this?"</p><div type="image" title="Sanjaya Malakar in 2016" height="1763" width="2351" msid="92680884" hostid="261" sizebytes="327804"></div><p>Nevertheless, Sanjaya still gets stopped on the street. He said being recognized for "Idol" still "feels like a dream sequence."</p><p>"It feels like once upon a time I was on my high-school football team and did really well at <em>one</em> game <em>one</em> time and people remember it and bring it up for a second," he told Insider.</p><p>He knows many people who stop him still see him as the child who competed on "Idol" back in 2007.</p><p>"They hear me sing and they're like: 'Oh wow! I had no idea that you could sing like that.'" Sanjaya said. "And I'm like: 'Well, I couldn't. It's been 15 years of me working on it, but thank you.'"</p><h2>He has since traded his microphone in for an apron</h2><p>Several years ago, Sanjaya stepped back from the music industry and started <a href="https://www.insider.com/lost-job-as-a-chef-never-want-to-go-back-2021-8">working as a pastry chef</a>.</p><p>Though he still loves singing, his biggest passion is cooking. He made croquembouche — an intricate French dessert consisting of pastries piled into a cone shape — for his sister's wedding and regularly prepares his grandma's egg-custard recipe.</p><p>"I tend to make myself comfort-food foods, and egg custard is the ultimate," Sanjaya said. "It's just milk, egg, sugar, vanilla, a little bit of nutmeg, and it's perfect."</p><p>Asked whether he would ever mix his passion for cooking with reality-competition shows, he said the stress would "ruin cooking" for him — as it did with singing for a little bit.</p><p>But he said he could envision himself briefly returning to the world of reality television for <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-masked-singer-cool-facts-2019-2">a show like "The Masked Singer"</a> just to see the looks on people's faces.</p><p>"I would want to go on, sing a song or something, have people be like, 'Oh, shit!'" Sanjaya laughed, "and, then, be done."</p>

Sanjaya Malakar is done being the butt of the joke on 'American Idol.' He just wants to make custard in peace.

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-sanjaya-malakar-interview-pastry-chef-2022-6">Sanjaya Malakar</a> was a finalist on season six of "<keyword id="12528075" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="american-idol" source="Orion">American Idol</keyword>" when he was 17 years old.</li><li>After "Idol," he said, people told him he should not get a job, even though he had bills to pay. </li></ul><p>In late 2007, "American Idol" finalist <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-sanjaya-malakar-interview-pastry-chef-2022-6">Sanjaya Malakar</a> was trying to figure out his next move — but the season-six alum found it tough to work after the show.  </p><p>"Getting a job <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-runner-up-finale-song-issue-blake-lewis-jordin-sparks-2022">after doing 'American Idol'</a> was really difficult for me," he told Insider. "Not because people wouldn't hire me or anything like that, but because I had people telling me, 'No, you can't get a job. If you get a job, people won't value you as much as an artist.'"</p><p>The "Idol" finalist said it was implied to him that getting a working-class job would affect his standing in the public eye because no one wanted to "see Sanjaya from <a href="https://www.insider.com/second-place-american-idol-singers-reveal-what-it-was-like-losing-2022">'American Idol'</a> working at a pizza shop." </p><p>After all, he was coming off of a "whirlwind" of performing on national television as a 17-year-old, becoming a household name, and wrapping a summer tour with his fellow finalists. </p><p>But, by this point, he was an 18-year-old trying to live in New York City and "pay rent," so Sanjaya ignored the advice. He said he ended up working at a karaoke bar for about eight years. </p><h2>The singer said he was cautious of opportunities and reality-TV offers after 'Idol' </h2><div type="image" title="Getty Images Sanjaya Malakar american idol" height="900" width="1200" msid="92683231" hostid="261" sizebytes="46684"></div><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-winner-hates-debut-single-from-series-caleb-johnson-2022-6">"Idol" fame</a> also came with a surplus of media events and opportunities, including a stint on the reality-show competition "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!" in 2009.</p><p>But Sanjaya said he tried to be "careful" about the opportunities he chose to take. He said he was even offered a reality-television concept that would focus on him and his sister Shyamali Malakar, <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-bad-things-being-on-show-from-contestants-2022-7">who originally auditioned for "Idol" alongside him</a>. </p><p>"I don't necessarily want to do a reality television show where they're following me and my sister around our house," he said. "That's not the kind of celebrity I want to be." </p><p>In the last 15 years, Sanjaya said he's considered tackling another reality show like <a href="https://www.insider.com/abc-biggest-dancing-with-the-stars-controversies#in-2012-contestant-hope-solo-alleged-that-her-professional-dance-partner-maksim-chmerkovskiy-had-manhandled-her-3">"Dancing With the Stars"</a> or "The Masked Singer." At one point, he said, he even auditioned for the singing competition "The Voice" but didn't make it through. </p><p>These days, his main passion involves cooking as a pastry chef, but he doesn't see himself on something like the <a href="https://www.insider.com/great-british-bake-off-best-worst-parts-of-show-from-finalist-2022">"Great British Baking Show"</a> anytime soon. </p><p>He said it'd be "too stressful" and cooking would be ruined for him if he was on a show about it, sort of how "Idol" ruined music for him "for a little bit." </p>

'American Idol' contestant Sanjaya Malakar says it was 'really difficult' to get a job after the show

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/second-place-american-idol-singers-reveal-what-it-was-like-losing-2022">"American Idol" runner-up</a> Blake Lewis said he knew he was going to lose season 6 to <keyword id="14303663" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jordin-sparks" source="Orion">Jordin Sparks</keyword>.</li><li>They both had to sing the same song on finale night, and he felt like it was "written for" her.</li></ul><p>Season-six <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-runner-up-happy-no-more-bad-singers-on-show-2022">"American Idol"</a> finalist Blake Lewis said he knew he was "screwed" as soon as he heard the final song he had to sing.</p><p>Speaking to Insider ahead of <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-season-one-behind-the-scenes-justin-guarini-interview-2022-6">the show's 20th anniversary</a>, Lewis said both he and Jordin Sparks had to sing the same song on the finale that was chosen as part of the show's first national <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/idol-announces-first-songwriting-contest/">songwriting contest</a> in 2007.</p><p>But after hearing the song, "This Is My Now," for the first time, Lewis said he immediately felt like it was "written for Jordin Sparks." And before the big night, he said the producers told him, "You can't arrange it this time."</p><p>As an <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-finalist-judges-forced-him-to-beatbox-blake-lewis-2022-6">award-winning beatboxer</a>, Lewis said he would stay up all night arranging his own music before each round of competitions on season six, but that apparently wasn't an option for the finale. </p><p>"I gave them all the fingers. I said, 'Fuck you all,' and I walked out of the room," Lewis said, adding, "It immediately turned the whole entire experience that I had sour."</p><p>Lewis said Sparks <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-runner-up-knew-kelly-clarkson-would-win-season-one-2022">deserved to win "American Idol"</a> — he even told Insider that he and several other contestants predicted she was going to win all the way back during Hollywood Week. But he said it was "agony" going into the finale week feeling like he was set up to fail. </p><p>"This should be like the dopest week of my life, but I know I'm getting second place," he said, later adding, "I had the greatest time of my life and then it became bitter."</p><h2>Lewis wasn't the only person associated with season 6 who found the situation 'awkward'</h2><div type="image" title="blake lewis pointing at jordin sparks on the americna idol red carpet in 2007" height="2250" width="3000" msid="92498017" hostid="261" sizebytes="280482"></div><p>Fellow season-six finalist Sanjaya Malakar also told Insider that it seemed "very obvious" to him that the finale song "was written for Jordin."</p><p>Even "This Is My Now" songwriter Jeff Peabody said he and his cowriter Scott Krippayne had "mixed feelings" about their song being used for the finale.</p><p>"It made it a little awkward for us to feel like the song was so clearly a better fit for her," Peabody told Insider.</p><p>The writer was happy to win the songwriting contest and attend the finale in person, but he said he "had nothing to do with being protective around the song or saying Blake couldn't arrange it."</p><p>When the songwriters spotted Lewis at the finale, Peabody said, they even apologized to him in person. </p><p>"We can tell it was awkward, so we felt bad. I mean we really mostly just wanted him to know we just wrote the best song we could. It wasn't like we knew what they would do with it," Peabody said.</p><p>A representative for Jordin Sparks declined to comment. Representatives for Scott Krippayne and Fox did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.</p>

'American Idol' runner-up says it was 'agony' going into the season-6 finale because he could tell Jordin Sparks was set up to win

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/second-place-american-idol-singers-reveal-what-it-was-like-losing-2022">"American Idol" runner-up</a> Blake Lewis said he knew he was going to lose season 6 to <keyword id="14303663" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jordin-sparks" source="Orion">Jordin Sparks</keyword>.</li><li>They both had to sing the same song on finale night, and he felt like it was "written for" her.</li></ul><p>Season-six <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-runner-up-happy-no-more-bad-singers-on-show-2022">"American Idol"</a> finalist Blake Lewis said he knew he was "screwed" as soon as he heard the final song he had to sing.</p><p>Speaking to Insider ahead of <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-season-one-behind-the-scenes-justin-guarini-interview-2022-6">the show's 20th anniversary</a>, Lewis said both he and Jordin Sparks had to sing the same song on the finale that was chosen as part of the show's first national <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/idol-announces-first-songwriting-contest/">songwriting contest</a> in 2007.</p><p>But after hearing the song, "This Is My Now," for the first time, Lewis said he immediately felt like it was "written for Jordin Sparks." And before the big night, he said the producers told him, "You can't arrange it this time."</p><p>As an <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-finalist-judges-forced-him-to-beatbox-blake-lewis-2022-6">award-winning beatboxer</a>, Lewis said he would stay up all night arranging his own music before each round of competitions on season six, but that apparently wasn't an option for the finale. </p><p>"I gave them all the fingers. I said, 'Fuck you all,' and I walked out of the room," Lewis said, adding, "It immediately turned the whole entire experience that I had sour."</p><p>Lewis said Sparks <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-runner-up-knew-kelly-clarkson-would-win-season-one-2022">deserved to win "American Idol"</a> — he even told Insider that he and several other contestants predicted she was going to win all the way back during Hollywood Week. But he said it was "agony" going into the finale week feeling like he was set up to fail. </p><p>"This should be like the dopest week of my life, but I know I'm getting second place," he said, later adding, "I had the greatest time of my life and then it became bitter."</p><h2>Lewis wasn't the only person associated with season 6 who found the situation 'awkward'</h2><div type="image" title="blake lewis pointing at jordin sparks on the americna idol red carpet in 2007" height="2250" width="3000" msid="92501215" hostid="261" sizebytes="280482"></div><p>Fellow season-six finalist Sanjaya Malakar also told Insider that it seemed "very obvious" to him that the finale song "was written for Jordin."</p><p>Even "This Is My Now" songwriter Jeff Peabody said he and his cowriter Scott Krippayne had "mixed feelings" about their song being used for the finale.</p><p>"It made it a little awkward for us to feel like the song was so clearly a better fit for her," Peabody told Insider.</p><p>The writer was happy to win the songwriting contest and attend the finale in person, but he said he "had nothing to do with being protective around the song or saying Blake couldn't arrange it."</p><p>When the songwriters spotted Lewis at the finale, Peabody said, they even apologized to him in person. </p><p>"We can tell it was awkward, so we felt bad. I mean we really mostly just wanted him to know we just wrote the best song we could. It wasn't like we knew what they would do with it," Peabody said.</p><p>A representative for Jordin Sparks declined to comment. Representatives for Scott Krippayne and Fox did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.</p>

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"<keyword id="12528075" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="american-idol" source="Orion">American Idol</keyword>" finalists shared their audition experiences and how extensive the process can be.</li><li>Some singers wait weeks or months in between audition rounds before they meet celebrity judges.</li></ul><p>A lot more goes on <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-fun-facts-2018-10">behind the scenes of "American Idol" auditions</a> than the average viewer may think. </p><p>Speaking to Insider for the Fox-ABC show's 20th anniversary, past contestants opened up about their journey to getting on the show. </p><h2>Several singers worshipped 'Idol' growing up and couldn't wait to compete</h2><div type="image" title="Sanjaya Malakar on the American Idol carpet smiling" height="1844" width="2459" msid="92785533" hostid="261" sizebytes="145744"></div><p>Season-16 winner Maddie Poppe said she remembered watching the show "every week" in elementary school and voting for her favorites, like season-seven finalist Brooke White and season-five winner Taylor Hicks. </p><p>"That was definitely a tradition in our house," Poppe said. </p><p>Season-three runner-up Diana DeGarmo recalled feeling strong connection to season-two winner Ruben Studdard and auditioned as soon as she was old enough. </p><p>"With Ruben Studdard being from Birmingham, that's where I was born," DeGarmo said. "So there was all of this kind of kinetic energy of, 'Oh, wow.' Like, all right, an Alabama guy, he can make a big, I can make it big so I just felt, again, more confirmation."  </p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-sanjaya-malakar-interview-pastry-chef-2022-6">Season-six finalist Sanjaya Malakar</a> believes the show's "approachability of stardom" is what's kept "American Idol" going for 20 years. </p><p>"I think when people are able to see other people follow their dreams and really pursue them, that gives them hope," Malakar told Insider.</p><h2>Others said they auditioned without ever having watched the show </h2><p>Season-six runner-up Blake Lewis <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-interesting-things-you-never-knew-from-contestants-2022-6">said he spontaneously auditioned</a> when a friend asked him to join him in line at 5 a.m.</p><p>"I had never seen 'American Idol' before," Lewis said. "Nor did I have any dreams of doing anything like it." </p><p>Hicks, who said he had "never really watched the show," had a dramatic entry into the "Idol" world.</p><p>"I was the last taxi-cab ride out of Hurricane Katrina," Hicks said. "And when I went to West Monroe, Louisiana, to flee the storm I took a Southwest flight that they gave me to anywhere in the country." </p><p>Hicks told Insider he ended up going to Las Vegas "on a whim." He said when he arrived at 2 a.m., his brother called him and asked if he was going to try out for "American Idol"  — Hicks was in line to audition by 3 a.m.  </p><h2>Some 'Idol' prospects traveled for hours to make it to an audition</h2><div type="image" title="A.S.E., formerly known as La'Porsha Renae, performs on &quot;American Idol&quot;" height="1668" width="2225" msid="92785535" hostid="261" sizebytes="124366"></div><p>Season-nine runner-up Crystal Bowersox said she drove five hours from her home in Ohio to Chicago with her infant son to audition. </p><p>Bowersox said "one of her oddest memories" involved going to the bathroom in the building where auditions were being held and hearing auditionees do vocal warm-ups while she expressed breast milk to relieve discomfort.</p><p>Season-15 runner-up A.S.E., formerly known as La'Porsha Renae, said she was also raising a newborn when she traveled 29 hours from Mississippi to Rhode Island. </p><p>Once she made it, she said, the judges asked why she traveled so far for her audition. </p><p>"I was prepared to follow you," A.S.E. recalled telling the judges. "If I got a 'no' this time, I was going to get a 'yes' in one of your cities." She said the judges told her there was "no need" because she got the first "yes" of the season. </p><h2>Contestants have to audition multiple times before they even get in front of the judges </h2><p>On television, it seems like prospective singers have a short wait before they perform for the judges, but <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-bad-things-being-on-show-from-contestants-2022-7">some finalists told Insider this process can take longer</a>. </p><p>Poppe said she auditioned in several cities over the course of three months. Season-16 runner-up Caleb Lee Hutchinson said producers called him months after his first "cattle call" audition in Atlanta. For the next round of auditions in New Orleans, Hutchinson said he drove through the night right after performing in a show.</p><p>"People always seemed a little shocked when I tell them that my audition in front of Simon and Paula and Randy was my fifth audition," said season-seven winner David Cook. </p><p>Season-13 runner-up Jena Irene Asciutto said she went through at least "two other stages" before she met the celebrity judges. </p><p>"I think it was just nerve-wracking, getting to that point," Asciutto told Insider. "Because from watching the show, as a kid, I thought you just went right on to see the 'Idol' judges." </p><h2>One singer recalled producers asking her to come back in the same clothes for continuity</h2><div type="image" title="Diana DeGarmo stands with her hands on her hips on the red carpet wearing a sparkly purple and black striped corset" height="1193" width="1591" msid="92785537" hostid="261" sizebytes="132656"></div><p>DeGarmo said when she flew to Hawaii, the last stop of the national city tour<strong>, </strong>she was instructed to come back in the same outfit to make it look like her audition took place over a single day.</p><p>"They said, 'OK, come back to this location tomorrow, be in this exact same outfit, have your sticker, everything, and you're going to audition for the producers,'" she recalled. </p><p>After several rounds of auditions, DeGarmo said, she tried steaming her clothes in the shower of the hotel because they "reeked" from the heat.</p><p>"By this point, you've been sitting in that costume for days," she said. </p><h2>Contestants said leading questions were asked during auditions and the footage was sometimes heavily edited</h2><p>When Malakar auditioned for the show alongside his sister Shyamali, he said conversations with producers felt "so contrived and so calculated" as they tried to mold their relationship into a "sibling rivalry." </p><p>"I found myself in a lot of situations where they'd ask me a question and I'd answer and they'd be like, 'OK, but … ' Malakar said. "And then ask me the question in a different way and I'd answer the same way."</p><p>Lewis also said that the show is more produced and edited than viewers may expect."It never goes down the way they show it," Lewis said.</p><p>Lewis told Insider he planned to just sing for the judges in his audition, but producers <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-finalist-judges-forced-him-to-beatbox-blake-lewis-2022-6">wanted him to show off his beatboxing skills</a>. He said he "said 'no' three times" before he folded. </p><p>"Honestly, even in that final audition to get into Hollywood week, I didn't beatbox at all for that audition," Lewis told Insider. "And then they forced me to, and then the way they cut it, they made it seem like I was cocky."</p><h2>One singer said those who make it to Hollywood aren't allowed to perform outside of the show</h2><p>Bowersox told Insider she had to wait about six months after her summer 2009 audition until the show officially kicked off in Hollywood. </p><p>After she made it past the judges to Hollywood Week, Bowersox said she had to sign a thick contract filled with non-disclosure agreements for her and her family, which barred her from talking about the show. </p><p>On top of that, she said, the contract included a clause where she was "not supposed to perform" until filming started. </p><p>"That was my sole source of income," Bowersox said. "So definitely, I still had to perform and went into hiding under another name." </p><p>Bowersox thinks news that she was performing under a fake name "ended up getting around anyway," but she wasn't disqualified from the competition. </p><h2>One 'Idol' star auditioned for the show 3 times before winning the competition</h2><div type="image" title="caleb johnson posing on the american idol red carpet" height="2366" width="3154" msid="92785539" hostid="261" sizebytes="327712"></div><p>Some singers went on to win "Idol" on their first attempt, but for Johnson, it took three tries before he <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-winner-hates-debut-single-from-series-caleb-johnson-2022-6">made it to the live shows and won the competition</a>.</p><p>Johnson said he auditioned for "Idol" three different times within four years. Each time he was <a href="https://www.insider.com/singers-who-were-rejected-by-american-idol-2018-11">cut from the competition</a>, he said it only gave him the confidence to go back and try again. </p><p>"You get a taste of it and you're like, 'Oh man, this is great,'" he told Insider. "And then it makes you want to come back and it's like a shoulda, coulda, woulda kind of scenario."</p><p>Johnson said he took a year off to focus on his music, play gigs, and make a record before making it on season 13 of "Idol." </p>

'American Idol' finalists share what it's really like to audition for the show

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-interesting-things-you-never-knew-from-contestants-2022-6">"American Idol" contestants told Insider</a> the worst parts of competing on the reality show.</li><li>They said Hollywood week can be brutal, and it's hard to avoid online bullying after competing.</li></ul><p>Viewers don't see everything that goes down on <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-fun-facts-2018-10">"American Idol."</a></p><p>Ahead of the Fox-ABC show's 20th anniversary, Insider asked winners and finalists to share the worst parts about being on the singing competition. </p><h2>The cash prize isn't as life-changing as some fans may expect</h2><p>Season-16 winner Maddie Poppe said the biggest misconception fans have is about the cash prize winners receive. </p><p>"People were asking my parents, 'So are you quitting your jobs?'" she told Insider. "They asked my sister, 'Oh, so are you quitting your job? Is your sister going to support you now?'" </p><p>Poppe said that people often assume that "Idol" winners are "set for life," but it's really just the start of their music careers. </p><p>"You do get $250,000, but not really because of taxes," Poppe told Insider. "And you get half of it before you complete your record, and then the second half you get after you complete the record. So it's just like an advance from the record deal, but I'm pretty sure I have to recoup it."</p><h2>One winner felt like he had little support for his debut album</h2><div type="image" title="Caleb Johnson performs onstage in a black suit with yellow lights in background" height="2747" width="3663" msid="92621285" hostid="261" sizebytes="187390"></div><p>Although Caleb Johnson won season 13 of "<keyword id="12528075" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="american-idol" source="Orion">American Idol</keyword>" and was instantly signed by the show's label, 19 Recordings, he said he had "absolutely no support behind the record" he produced after the show.</p><p>"Because the label wouldn't release the single, there was no single that came out after the record was done," Johnson told Insider. "There was no music video. There was nothing."</p><p>He said he eventually spent his own money on "a music video to release a single because there was nothing."</p><p>Johnson also said that trying to promote the album on his own while performing on the "Idol" tour after his season was "rough" and "grueling." </p><p>Representatives for 19 <keyword id="11896019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment" source="Orion">Entertainment</keyword>, which owns 19 Recordings, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. </p><h2>Competing in front of the whole country welcomes criticism, especially online</h2><div type="image" title="Diana degarmo competing on american idol" height="1133" width="1511" msid="92621286" hostid="261" sizebytes="66654"></div><p>Diana DeGarmo, who placed second on the third season of "Idol," said that hateful comments online "caused a lot of mental damage," on top of the criticism from the judges. </p><p>"I was getting it to my face by Mr. Cowell, weekly," DeGarmo told Insider, referring to <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-judges-ranked-2019-3">judge Simon Cowell</a>. "And so at the end, I remember I thought, I kinda just want to go home."</p><p>Season-11 runner-up Jessica Sanchez said she received "a ton" of hatred online and had to learn to deal with it.</p><p>"I'm this little 16-year-old girl. And that's why I said I had to learn how to have thick skin at a really young age and just really learn, OK, whatever they're saying doesn't matter," she told Insider.</p><p>Season-seven winner David Cook told Insider he came across a "funny little hate site" that polled voters on who deserved to be on "Idol" the least. </p><p>"I remember seeing this one comment on there that bothered the hell out of me, and it just ate at me and ate at me and I couldn't find peace with it," Cook said. </p><h2>For another, dealing with sudden fame in real life was equally challenging</h2><div type="image" title="Melinda Doolittle wears a black vest and dark-blue silk shirt in front of &quot;American Idol&quot; background on red carpet" height="1391" width="1855" msid="92621288" hostid="261" sizebytes="95516"></div><p>Competing on "Idol" introduces singers to fans across the country, so it can be shocking to leave the show and get recognized on the street.</p><p>Melinda Doolittle, who competed on season six, said she had to hire security for six months after the show.</p><p>"The show was so big, especially at that point, like you could not walk more than 10 feet without getting stopped or people wanting pictures and wanting to talk to you," she told Insider. </p><h2>One runner-up said he feels like 'Idol' doesn't look after its former <keyword id="11892815" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="contestants" source="Orion">contestants</keyword></h2><p>According to <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-finalist-judges-forced-him-to-beatbox-blake-lewis-2022-6">season-six runner-up Blake Lewis</a>, it's easy to feel forgotten after an "Idol" season wraps, especially since older seasons of the show aren't on streaming services. </p><p>He added that he's tried, unsuccessfully, to get copies of his season "for years" so he can watch it for the first time. </p><p>Lewis also went on to say that the "infrastructure" of "Idol" isn't built to promote or sustain connections with performers after a season ends, <a href="https://www.insider.com/second-place-american-idol-singers-reveal-what-it-was-like-losing-2022">especially if they didn't win</a>.</p><p>"'American Idol' doesn't give two cents about us after we're not on the show, unless you got first place," he told Insider.</p><h2>On early seasons, producers spent airtime 'making fun' of bad auditions</h2><p>Lewis said he never watched "Idol" before competing on the show, but he knew the series had a reputation for highlighting "fame seekers" and bad singers <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-runner-up-happy-no-more-bad-singers-on-show-2022">during early audition rounds</a>. </p><p>"In passing, I think, someone had that on, and it was like, 'Wow, they're making fun of people,'" Lewis told Insider. </p><p>Season-nine runner-up Crystal Bowersox likened the show's penchant for airing bad auditions to "bullying." </p><p>"I have noticed that the show has moved away from what they used to do, which was let people through the competition or the judgment process knowing that they were just simply going to make fun of them and crush their dreams and send them home," she told Insider. </p><p>Sanchez also said she's happy the show has moved away from airing <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-william-hung-she-bangs-audition-story-2022-6">those kinds of auditions</a>.</p><p>"If you're going to have airtime, you should be pushing people that are really serious about music and that have really been dedicating their lives to it and put a lot of, pretty much blood, sweat, and tears into the music," she said. </p><h2>The audition process can be lengthy and expensive</h2><div type="image" title="Getty Images David Cook american idol" height="899" width="1199" msid="92621290" hostid="261" sizebytes="59304"></div><p>Singers don't perform for <a href="https://www.insider.com/all-american-idol-judges-where-are-they-now-photos-2021-7">judges like Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson</a> during their first audition. Several contestants said there are multiple rounds of initial screenings.</p><p>"People always seemed a little shocked when I tell them that my audition in front of Simon and Paula and Randy was my fifth audition," Cook told Insider.</p><p>He also earned a lot of "frequent flier miles" during auditions, flying back and forth from Oklahoma to Nebraska over the course of three months. </p><p>"Once you get to Hollywood Week, they put you up in cover flights and all that, but yeah, for the city auditions segment, you're on your own pocket," Cook said. </p><p>Several contestants traveled long distances for their auditions, like season-15 runner-up ASE, formerly known as La'Porsha Renae, who made a 29-hour drive to audition in Providence, Rhode Island. </p><p>Although DeGarmo was based in Georgia, she flew all the way to Hawaii to audition for her season before the city tours ended. </p><p>Throughout her rounds of auditions, she also said she had to wear the same exact outfit, which came with challenges when she didn't live in the area.</p><p>"I remember trying to air out my clothes because they just reeked so bad from standing outside in the heat, and trying to steam it in the shower of the hotel you're in and flattening out the sticker," DeGarmo said.</p><h2>Hollywood Week can be pretty grueling</h2><div type="image" title="Maddie poppe competing on american idol" height="2463" width="3283" msid="92621291" hostid="261" sizebytes="212236"></div><p>"Idol" finalists didn't hold back when it came to describing the first week in Hollywood after auditions. Season-six finalist Sanjaya Malakar said the week was like "a punch in the face." </p><p>"I think they purposefully try to push you to your limits emotionally and physically and mentally just to see how you react," Poppe told Insider. </p><p>DeGarmo said that Hollywood Week meant constantly being "camera-ready," even as stress and lack of sleep whittled down the competition. </p><p>"You just have to be ready to go at any time, which is very draining and stressful," she said, adding she saw a lot of "bad-ass performers" breaking down or getting sick.</p><h2>The week of the finale can also be particularly difficult </h2><p>For season-13 runner-up Jena Irene Asciutto, who competed alongside Johnson, the toughest part was the finale. </p><p>"By the end of the finale, I think Caleb and I had just sang in six or seven different performances that week," she said. "So we were burnt the fuck out." </p><p>Johnson said it was stressful because his "voice was blown out" for the finale.</p><p>"They did this kind of unorthodox thing where they took a needle of adrenaline and would spray my vocal chords to basically make it come back," he told Insider. </p><p>Lewis called the season-six finale the "worst week of my life" because he felt the final song both finalists had to sing for the competition, "This Is My Now," was "written for Jordin Sparks."</p><p>"That whole week was terrible," Lewis told Insider. "No one gets to see the behind-the-scenes, no one gets to see me like in agony, like just this should be like the dopest week of my life, <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-runner-up-finale-song-issue-blake-lewis-jordin-sparks-2022">but I know I'm getting second place</a>."</p><h2>One winner said he hated his 'coronation' song</h2><p>"My winner single was crap, and I would say that 90% of every other winner's single is crap," Johnson told Insider. "Like it's the cheesiest thing."</p><p>When it came to his finale, Johnson was so "pissed" about his "coronation" song "As Long As You Love Me" that he said he fought against producers until the last live show. </p><p>"It was an amazing experience to win it, but it was a not-so-amazing experience to sing a really crappy song," he said.</p><h2>For better or for worse, contestants have a hard time shaking their 'Idol' title</h2><div type="image" title="Jena Irene Asciutto wearing a white and red jacket with eyes closed singing into microphone with green lights in background" height="2174" width="2898" msid="92621292" hostid="261" sizebytes="387992"></div><p>Johnson said being associated with the show has led to some professional hang-ups.</p><p>"Do I always love being labeled as <a href="https://www.insider.com/where-are-they-now-american-idol-winners-2018-5">'American Idol'-winner</a> Caleb Johnson? Not really. But is that what I am? Yeah," he said. "You seal the deal when you do that show."</p><p>After competing, Lewis said he wasn't able to return to the gigs he'd been doing before "Idol."</p><p>"It's such a double-edged sword," he told Insider. "Like all the cool stuff I was doing before hosting festivals? Never got hired for that ever again, just cause I was a part of that show."</p><p>Asciutto said she struggled to grow her music career after "Idol," especially since the show didn't offer her a record deal.</p><p>"All anyone cares about is this 'American Idol' title, which is dope, but it's a reality-TV show," she told Insider. "And it's also not the music industry, which is a complete fact." </p><p>She continued, "After the fact, like two or three years after, I was pissed. Is that all I'm fucking known for?"</p><h2>Competing on 'Idol' comes with plenty of sacrifices</h2><p>For many contestants, competing meant walking away from jobs, school, or whatever else they were doing at the time.</p><p>Poppe said she had to "take the leap of faith" and drop out of school when she made it on the show.</p><p>According to Bowersox, the producers also barred contestants from taking any outside gigs while filming their season. </p><p>"Telling me that I couldn't perform?" she said. "That was my sole source of income."</p><p>Bowersox said she ended up finding a way to perform under an alias without getting disqualified from the competition. </p><p>On season six, Lewis said contestants weren't allowed access to their social-media profiles during filming.</p><p>"My YouTube and MySpace was taken until you got off the show, like three months off the show," he said. "I'm like, how am I supposed to have a fan base after this? It's insane."</p><p>Representatives for "American Idol," Fox, and ABC did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.</p>

'American Idol' finalists share the 12 worst parts about being on the show

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/american-idol-anniversary-feature">"American Idol" contestants told Insider</a> the most surprising things they learned while on the show.</li><li>Some contestants recalled feeling "out of body" during live performances and their finales.</li></ul><p>There's a lot more to being on <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-fun-facts-2018-10">"American Idol"</a> than what you see on <keyword id="11898468" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tv" source="Orion">TV</keyword>. </p><p>Ahead of the Fox-ABC show's 20th anniversary, Insider asked winners and finalists to share things that surprised them about being on the <keyword id="13757540" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="singing-competition" source="Orion">singing competition</keyword>. </p><h2>Early 'Idol' contestants were given a wardrobe budget and later ones worked with a stylist</h2><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-runner-up-knew-kelly-clarkson-would-win-season-one-2022">Season-one runner-up Justin Guarini</a> said that there was a "nature of collaboration" between contestants and crew members when it came to the outfits they wore on stage when the show aired in 2002.</p><p>Season-seven "Idol" winner David Cook said he was "floored by the fact" that he was allowed to pick his own wardrobe when he competed in 2008. </p><p>"The idea of having $100 to $200 on an outfit for your performance was like, 'Oh my God, how am I possibly going to spend all this?'" Cook recalled. "And then you go shopping in LA and you're like, 'Oh, that's how I'm going to spend all of it.'"</p><p>Jena Irene Asciutto, the "Idol" runner-up in 2014, said singers were paired with stylists on her season but that didn't mean their outfits were always perfect. </p><p>Asciutto, who was 17 at the time of filming, said she remembers the season-13 stylists "were so incredibly talented" but "boxed in by what the executive producers saw for each contestant." For instance, Asciutto said she didn't appreciate how producers kept picking outfits that "accentuated" parts of her body that made her uncomfortable. </p><p>"I think looking back on that, I would totally have wanted to change some things around and have the final say so," Asciutto recalled.</p><h2>'Idol' contestants can vote for each other</h2><p>Season-nine runner-up Crystal Bowersox said she would take time to vote for each contestant when the live shows aired.</p><p>"During the voting time, I would always go and place one vote for every single contestant other than myself, at least one," she told Insider.</p><h2>A few singers auditioned without ever watching the show</h2><div type="image" title="Taylor Hicks outstretches his arms and looks surprised on &quot;American Idol&quot; stage" height="1921" width="2562" msid="92396788" hostid="261" sizebytes="310996"></div><p>Though many contestants grew up <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-william-hung-she-bangs-audition-story-2022-6">cheering for their favorite "Idol" singers</a>, a few told Insider that they went into their auditions knowing little about the series. </p><p>"I went through the show having never really watched the show," said season-five winner Taylor Hicks. But he believes his experience on the show was made "even more special" by the fact that the camera crew captured his "pure and honest reactions."</p><p>Season-six runner-up Blake Lewis said he wasn't planning to <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-relatives-famous-celebrities-auditioned-2022-4">try out for "Idol"</a> until he spontaneously decided to join a friend in the audition line.</p><p>"My friend called me out of the blue to be in line with him," Lewis recalled. "He says, 'What are you doing at 5 a.m.?'" </p><p>After he made it through to Hollywood Week, Lewis said he reached out to his childhood friends and "grilled them" on their "Idol" knowledge. </p><p>He added, "I'm like, 'What is this show about? What am I getting myself into?'" </p><h2>Sudden fame from the show was disorienting for a lot of finalists</h2><p>"I went from complete obscurity to not being able to walk down the street at that time," said Bowersox, who competed in 2010.</p><p>Season-six finalist Melinda Doolittle said that she became a hermit for "at least two years" after her time on the show. </p><p>"You could not walk more than 10 feet without getting stopped or people wanting pictures and wanting to talk to you," Doolittle recalled.</p><p>Some "Idol" contestants said that the attention could border on stalking at times. Hicks recalled that a paparazzo followed him in a helicopter for "about two weeks" after competing on the show. </p><p>"I had a bodyguard for six months, it was very intense for me," Hicks said. "It's very scary when you get let out to pasture, as I like to say."</p><h2>According to contestants, security can be pretty tight on and off set</h2><div type="image" title="Melinda Doolittle wearing a silky white dress holding a microphone on &quot;American Idol&quot; stage" height="1480" width="1973" msid="92396789" hostid="261" sizebytes="92768"></div><p>Some contestants on earlier "Idol" seasons said producers kept a close eye on the singers in order to contend with fans and crowds of reporters. </p><p>"I would run away from security and try to go find hiding spots because we were supposed to stay in a bubble and always have a security guard with us. I couldn't stand it," Bowersox told Insider. </p><p>Lewis said he would often sneak out with his roommates and ask the security guard stationed outside their apartment to look the other way.</p><p>Doolittle recalled that there were "security risks" involved with filming "Idol," but she was always upfront about asking producers for time away. </p><p>She said that a friend "would literally drive me around in his car just so I could practice because in the apartments you couldn't really sing that loud."</p><p>Season-three runner-up Diana DeGarmo, who was 16 years old when she competed, said there were security measures in place including contestant curfews, a staff of security guards, and limited mobility to and from set.</p><h2>Some contestants had an 'out of body' experience during the final rounds</h2><div type="image" title="Caleb Lee Hutchinson in a brown suit playing a guitar and singing onstage with red lights and illuminated background" height="1778" width="2371" msid="92396791" hostid="261" sizebytes="279526"></div><p>Caleb Lee Hutchinson, who placed second on season 16, said he "disassociated" at a certain point during the finale. </p><p>"Honestly, I looked back at that footage and I don't see anything behind those eyes, that dude is just up there," Hutchinson said.</p><p>"When we did the performances I got to sing with Joe Cocker," Bowersox said of her finale experience. "I don't remember being in my body for those moments … it's hard to remember it even from my own perspective." </p><p>Season-18 winner Just Sam said that she experienced a similar feeling when she found out she would <a href="https://www.insider.com/where-are-they-now-american-idol-winners-2018-5">progress to the finale episode</a>.</p><p>"I literally felt like, 'I am asleep,'" Just Sam said. "'I must be in a coma and somebody has not woken me up yet.'"</p><h2>Some winners and runner-ups won free cars as a part of the show's sponsorship deals</h2><p>Before "Idol" was picked up by ABC, the show had a long-running sponsorship deal with Ford in which some finalists received free cars. </p><p>After placing second on season 14, Clark Beckham said that he went into "negotiation mode" when it came to picking his car.</p><p>"I'm going to shoot as high as I possibly can," Beckham recalled. "And if they say no, at least we work from there rather than not realizing I could have gotten more."</p><p>Beckham said he went with a Ford 5-150 truck and "souped it up" as much as he could. </p><p>Bowersox said that her season's winner, Lee DeWyze, went above budget on his car, which was good news for her. </p><p>"There was some kind of clause where they had to honor that for me," Bowersox recalled. "So I picked a vehicle that was under that budget and ended up getting a check for the remaining amounts." </p><h2>Contestants said editing is everything on <keyword id="11899410" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="reality-tv" source="Orion">reality TV</keyword></h2><div type="image" title="Jena Irene Asciutto wearing a white and red jacket with eyes closed singing into microphone with green lights in background" height="2174" width="2898" msid="92396793" hostid="261" sizebytes="387992"></div><p>Lewis said he "had to fight so hard" to be himself on the show and that a lot of what happened wasn't what it seemed.</p><p>He said during his audition in front of the judges <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-finalist-judges-forced-him-to-beatbox-blake-lewis-2022-6">he was asked to beatbox and declined three times before he finally gave in</a>. But Lewis said the footage was edited to make the situation seem different. </p><p>"The way they cut it — they made it seem like I was cocky," Lewis said. </p><p>When season-six finalist Sanjaya Malakar auditioned for the show with his sister, Shyamali, he said he could feel producers pushing for a "sibling rivalry" angle and <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-idol-runner-up-happy-no-more-bad-singers-on-show-2022">trying to coach certain reactions out of them</a>. </p><p>"Essentially, it felt like they were feeling out whether or not my sister and I would be combative or a team," he told Insider. </p><p>Asciutto said one waiver she signed included the show's right to "piece footage" together as it pleased. </p><p>"You could be saying one thing, answering a question, or talking about a certain topic or situation, but they could string certain words or footage together to make it seem like you were saying something different," she told Insider.</p><h2>Choosing songs isn't always straightforward </h2><div type="image" title="A.S.E., formerly known as La'Porsha Renae, sings and holds a microphone on a stage illuminated with purple light" height="1643" width="2191" msid="92396794" hostid="261" sizebytes="320230"></div><p>Season-15 runner-up A.S.E., formerly known as La'Porsha Renae, said that singers sometimes had less creative control than viewers may have thought. </p><p>Although producers often chose songs for contestants, A.S.E. said that she and a few others were "rebellious" on their season because they were "very adamant about what song choices we wanted to do and why we fought for our song choices."</p><p>When A.S.E. chose to sing Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive," she said that a crew member tried to feed her a line off-camera. </p><p>"She was like, 'Just in case producers don't choose that song and they say you can't do it, say something like, I wish I could have done that song,'" A.S.E. recalled.</p><p>A.S.E. said she refused to say the line, thinking that if they didn't have her saying it on camera she'd get to do the song. </p><p>"So you have to be smart and learn to maneuver," she added. </p><h2>Contestants' vocal cords go through a lot and they take great measures to keep them going</h2><p>Since singing for a prolonged period of time can put pressure on contestants' vocal cords, Hicks said he would often camp out in the bathroom between rehearsals because it was the "most humidified place" on set.</p><p>"It was like I had a giant case of diarrhea the whole time, but actually it was just me trying to keep my voice," Hicks said. </p><p>Season-13 winner Caleb Johnson said his voice "was blown out" right before the finale and he had to take drastic measures after conventional remedies, like drinking hot tea, didn't work. </p><p>"... The reality was just, there was no time," Johnson told Insider. "So they did this kind of unorthodox thing where they took a needle of adrenaline and would spray my vocal cords to basically make it come back."</p><h2>Finalists' days are usually long and packed with rehearsing or shooting B-roll and commercials</h2><p>Season-16 winner Maddie Poppe said Hollywood Week was "exhausting," as the contestants had a 7 a.m. call time every day but she didn't yet have access to wardrobe or hair and makeup. </p><p>"We eat breakfast, and then we go over and we get ready," she said. "Then you're at the Dolby Theatre shooting all day, but you don't have hair and makeup, you don't have a wardrobe. </p><p>Asciutto told Insider that there were days when "we were barely even in our hotel rooms" due to commitments like shooting B-roll or participating in commercials.</p><p>" ... As the weeks went on and people were eliminated, the people left were responsible for filling that episode of time," she recalled. "So we were needed for more things. And I think at like top eight was when we started doing Ford commercials every Sunday."</p><h2>A lot of recent contestants check social media and are pushed to use it — but it can be tough</h2><div type="image" title="Caleb Johnson performs onstage in a black suit with yellow lights in background" height="3437" width="4583" msid="92396795" hostid="261" sizebytes="251350"></div><p>A.S.E. recalled that during her time on the show, she faced a "whole whirlwind" as she navigated social media platforms.</p><p>She said the show's social-media mentor often told her to post on Instagram and Facebook, but it was extra tough because she "wasn't used to critique on such a massive level." </p><p>Johnson even recalled a time when users didn't believe in him on one of the show's Twitter polls. </p><p>"It said, 'Is Caleb going to make it into the watch shows?'" said Johnson. "And 80% of the Twitter poll said, 'No,' like it was like 80 to 20 and I was just laughing."</p><p>He said it still cracks him up that the majority of voters on the poll didn't think he'd make it far, especially since he won the whole season. </p><p>Representatives for Fox and ABC did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. </p>

You Searched For "sanjaya malakar" and got 7 results

Sanjaya Malakar is done being the butt of the joke on 'American Idol.' He just wants to make custard in peace.

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'American Idol' contestant Sanjaya Malakar says it was 'really difficult' to get a job after the show

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'American Idol' runner-up says it was 'agony' going into the season-6 finale because he could tell Jordin Sparks was set up to win

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'American Idol' runner-up says it was 'agony' going into the season-6 finale because he could tell Jordin Sparks was set up to win

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'American Idol' finalists share what it's really like to audition for the show

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'American Idol' finalists share the 12 worst parts about being on the show

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'American Idol' finalists share 12 things even superfans don't know about being on the show

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