Let’s turn back the clock to whenAmerican Idolstill ruled reality TV.
It’s 2006, and the judging trio ofSimon Cowell,Paula Abdul, andRandy Jacksonis going strong.
The first four seasons of the Fox singing competition series seemed to get its winners mostly right.
Credit:FOX; Adobe Stock - Design: Alex Sandoval
(Clay Aiken deserved to win over Ruben Studdard in season 2, although I wasn’tthatupset).
But season 5 destroys my faith inIdolentirely, because Chris should have won the whole thing.
But he took on the responsibility of helping raise her two kids when they got married.
Chris Daughtry on ‘American Idol’.Carin A. Baer/WireImage
However, I was not prepared for what came next.
Ray Mickshaw/WireImage
When Chris started belting out the lyrics to “The Letter,” I was blown away.
This guy seemed to have it all.
Chris Daughtry on ‘American Idol’.Jason Merritt/FilmMagic for Fox Television Network
(Hey Simon, how’s his “charisma” and “emotion”?)
I was content to just watch it play out.
And kept calling until polls closed a few hours later.
Chris Daughtry on ‘American Idol’.FOX
I refused to stop until the lines were dead.
(He ultimately turned it down after he lostIdoland formed his own band.)
Chris later revealed that he also rejected Joe Perry’s offer to replace Steven Tyler in Aerosmith.
Chris Daughtry, Katharine McPhee, and Ryan Seacrest on ‘American Idol’.Ray Mickshaw/WireImage for Fox Television Network
So how did America get it so wrong?
So I picked up the phone and kept on voting for him like it was my job.
Everything was totally fine!
He was the only competitor to have real-world star power and the talent to back it up.
He listened and learned to constructive criticism.
He could do no wrong, even when his voice got strained by fatigue.
Something had clearly gone horribly wrong.
I refused to believe it.
Even Simon said that Katharine should be the one going home.
The room immediately erupted in booing, and Paula collapsed on the judges table.
Something had to have gone wrong with the voting system.
It’s the only explanation, and I will never get over this mistake.
It made zero sense then, and it continues to baffle me to this day.
Chris still went on to live his dream, forming his band Daughtry.
His first single “It’s Not Over” dominated the charts, and his first album hit No.
He also made history as the firstIdolalum to have two consecutive No.
It’s like the show knew it needed to make up for the betrayal of sending him home.
But I never forgaveIdol I never voted again.
Actually, I never even watched again.
