Two nights after his surprise elimination from season 23 of “American Idol” on April 28, 2025, Egyptian-born crooner Filo addressed fans eager to hear how he was doing. Many fans — and even the judges — were shocked seeing the gifted singer go home, but he’s handled the disappointment with grace and gratitude.
In honor of the April 28 episode’s theme, “Iconic Idol Moments,” Filo performed “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” which was a standout moment during Jennifer Hudson‘s journey on the show. The 23-year-old was in tears as the judges gave him a standing ovation, the crowd chanted his name and and both Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie said it was his best performance of the season.
But Filo, who received one of the judges’ coveted Platinum Tickets following his impressive audition, didn’t garner enough viewer votes during the live episode to advance into the top 10. He and British R&B singer Ché Chesterman were sent home at the end of the show — Chesterman back to Essex, England, and Filo to his family’s home base near San Francisco.
Filo Says It’s ‘Hard to Put Into Words’ What ‘American Idol’ Journey Meant to Him
Filo remained silent until about 24 hours after his elimination. On the night of April 29, he posted only a photo in his Instagram Stories from inside his flight home with a brief message. He tagged Hollywood Burbank Airport, and wrote, “This marks the end of an incredible journey. I have so much to get off my chest…but in the meantime, I love you all for your support and I can’t wait to show you what’s to come ❤️”
By the evening of April 30, however, he had gathered his thoughts and posted a much lengthier farewell to the show and words of gratitude to his new friends and fans.
“And just like that, my @AmericanIdol journey comes to an end,” he wrote. “It’s hard to put into words what this experience has meant to me. The dream of being on the show felt far-off, and the fact that God gave me the opportunity to be a part of the Idol family is something that I will never take for granted.”
Filo, who graduated from the prestigious Berklee School of Music in 2024, wrote to his fans, “To everyone who’s supported me, I owe you a great deal of gratitude,” the Berklee . I can’t express to you enough how much it means to me that you believed in me and took the time to show your love and support. Making it to the #TOP12 is no easy feat, and I truly couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you!”
He also thanked his new “family” of contestants he bonded with since auditions, which took place in the fall of 2024, noting that “as bittersweet as this moment is, the bitterness is from how much I’m going to miss my Idol family❤️”
“I have met some of the most wonderful and loving people I’ve ever known,” he continued. “To my fellow contestants, thank you so much for being the light in the midst of this intense rollercoaster. I love every single one of you with all my heart and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for all of you!🤩”
Filo also thanked his brother Arssani and mom, Haidi, whom he called “my rock in this world.” They were frequently seen in the studio audience as she sobbed during each of her son’s performances. The family fled Egypt when Filo was in middle school to escape persecution of Coptic Orthodox Christians.
Carrie Underwood Expresses Shock Over Filo’s ‘American Idol’ Elimination
Speaking with reporter Dean McCarthy after the April 28 show, judge Carrie Underwood was she felt “overwhelmed” by the level of talent among season 23’s top contestants, which means very gifted singers will wind up going home.
“It was an incredible night of showcasing talent,” she said, “but then the end, losing Che and Filo, was just heartbreaking. Both of them — Filo especially was one of my favorite favorites, so it was like, ‘Oh my gosh!'”
“And he was so great,” she continued. “That makes it even worse when it’s like, ‘You had a great night!’ So it’s like, ‘You didn’t do anything wrong,’ you know?”
Underwood wasn’t the only one stunned by Filo’s departure. Fans flooded social media, including one who wrote on his April 30 post, “those votes weren’t right i’m telling you. Even the Judges were shocked.”
“My jaw dropped and stayed on the floor for a solid 15 minutes when you didn’t make it into the top 10,” another wrote. “You should have won.”
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Filo Opens Up to Fans After ‘Bittersweet’ Elimination from ‘American Idol’