It's group time for the American Idol contestants. During the second round of competition, the remaining 170 contestants formed small groups, and rehearsed into the wee hours of the morning in empty banquet rooms, hallways, and even a kitchen.
Group Night - Lots of Drama as Contestants Disagree
The night before the audition was full of drama and emotion. "It's not just about you and her though," said contestant Nathaniel Marshall. Frustrated, Nathaniel exclaimed, "Can we just please stop!" It was clear; certain groups could not get along. Some contestants wanted to rest, others wanted to rehearse. Just about everyone wanted to go to sleep, but the reality of possibly being eliminated from the competition was sobering for others.
Running on Empty
Things just fell apart for some groups the following morning. Many contestants said they only got a few hours of sleep. One of those contestants was Katrina Darrell, better known as "Bikini Chick." While leaving her hotel room, she told photographers she only got two hours of sleep. Katrina was the only contestant seen showing up late for roll call the following morning.
A Stern Warning From Simon
"Forget the words, you're out." Those were the stern words uttered by "American Idol" judge, Simon Cowell. Many of the contestants did indeed forget the words, but not to the amusement of Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, Kara DioGuardi, and Simon. Remember, the contestants didn't get to pick the song they're group performed. Instead they got to chose from a list of available songs including...
- "I Want You Back" by the Jackson Five
- "Get Ready" by The Temptations
- "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac
- "Some Kind of Wonderful," by Grand Funk Railroad
- "Mercy," by Duffy
Contestants Given the Boot
"My heart is truly broken," said eliminated contestant Emily Wynne-Hughes. She's the pink-haired contestant who is never seen wearing shoes. You may remember her telling the judges in her preliminary audition that she would leave her band for the show. She was cut after the group competition. Also given the boot was Rose Flack, the contestant who lost both her parents, "Bikini Chick" Katrina Darrell, and Utah's David Osmond.
Simon's More Memorable Moments
Simon didn't seem too impressed with some of the audtions, making comments like...
- "Useless."
- "Horrible."
- "I don't want to do this anymore."
It Ain't Over Til It's Over
You know when it was over when judge Paula Abdul says, "It's the end of the road for you." All in all, host Ryan Seacrest said about 75 people made it through to the final round of Hollywood week. That round will consist of more performances, and even more eliminations. This is the last chance for the contestants to impress the judges before Simon, Paula, Randy, and Kara reduce the competition from 75 to 36.
